The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) rejected a complaint made against Ladbrokes in relation to a post on Facebook, which promoted a slot game from the movie ‘The Goonies’.
The plaintiff considered that the ad’s reference to the film was likely to appeal to those under 18, and questioned whether the ad violated the Code.
But ASA investigated under the rules 16.1 and 16.3.12 of the CAP Code, and found no violation, and so no further action was taken.
Viewed March 31, 2021, the paid ad on Facebook featured an image of a nautical map with gold doubloons and a logo that said Jackpot King, with superimposed text that said The Goonies.
Ladbrokes said he had withdrawn the ad in response to the complaint, but argued that it was aimed at people over 18, having been released in 1985 and therefore not a current film that would be well known to children in 2021.
ASA agrees with the company’s justification
In its assessment, ASA agreed that the bookmaker had taken steps to reach those aged 18 and over, and that the film was not susceptible to those under 18 years of age.
“We noted that although the ad had the logo and font ‘The Goonies’, it did not feature any characters or other images from the film,” an ASA statement read.
“We felt that the nautical map and gold doubloons featured in the ad were not colored, cartooned or otherwise presented in a way that was likely to resonate with children, and were more likely to have general or adult appeal.”
“Therefore, we concluded that the ad was not of private appeal to under-18s and had not violated the Code,” the statement added.
About Ladbrokes
London-based Ladbrokes Coral is a British betting and gaming company. It previously owned the Hilton hotel brand outside the United States, and was known as Hilton Group plc from 1999 to 2006. In November 2016, Ladbrokes acquired Gala Coral Group, and changed its name to Ladbrokes Coral.
In March 2018, GVC Holdings PLC acquired Ladbrokes Coral Group PLC with the aim of becoming the UK’s largest bookmaker, adding to the portfolio the iconic online gaming and retail brands, Ladbrokes, Coral and Gala. GVC is one of the largest sports betting and gaming groups in the world.
