Coral loses TV ad ban appeal
Operator’s TV advert to remain banned for suggesting that gambling on sport is more exciting than watching it
Coral has lost an appeal to have an advertising ban overturned on one of its TV adverts from April.
The ad featuring stylised clips of footballers playing the game, was originally banned by the regulatory body in July last year.
The action was shot against a dramatic soundtrack as the voiceover stated: “The beautiful game- you can watch it, or you can get involved in it with the latest Coral action.
“So are you a spectator or are you a player? You decide. Coral. Get in on the action.”
Two complainants suggested the ad was harmful and irresponsible because the voiceover implied that only gamblers were true ‘players’, and that gambling was better than just watching the sport.
Coral said the ad was not harmful or irresponsible in any way and did not believe the tone of the voiceover was pushy or aggressively promoting the gambling element.
The operator argued that “you decide” was the key phrase in the voiceover and that the ad was socially responsible.
The ASA disagreed and ruled the ad must not appear again in its current form, warning the operator that future Coral campaigns “must not condone an irresponsible attitude towards gambling, nor suggest peer pressure to gamble.”
Coral subsequently began an appeal against the ruling which has only just reached its conclusion and the ban was upheld.