|
News Archive
|
|
ASA dismisses church's online casino complaint
|
|
[2005-10-19]
|
|
|
A complaint by the Methodist Church over the advertising of an online casino has been rejected by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).
Church leaders slammed the "irresponsible" adverts for Victor Chandler's (VC) online casino on London tube trains, claiming they linked gambling with alcohol.
One of the adverts, which featured comedian Rowland Rivron, showed the TV funnyman in a bar using a laptop with one hand and holding a drink in the other.
The church’s complaint argued that intoxication lowered self-control, therefore reducing the ability to gamble responsibly – and that the advert was irresponsible in appearing to promote this.
However, the church did not bet on the ASA dismissing the complaint.
An ASA spokesman said: "They [VC] said they had taken great care to ensure the ads were acceptable. They pointed out that there were no rules that prohibited the association of alcohol and gambling."
The other advert for the casino featured Mr Rivron in a barber's shop without any alcohol present, and VC argued the adverts were promoting the fact that internet gambling could be enjoyed anywhere.
"We noted the consumption of alcohol was permissible in places that allowed gambling and that the ads did not show unwise drinking or gambling," concluded the ASA.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|