Paddy Power rapped for Cheltenham TV ad
ASA rules betting promotion aired during the festival "misleading" for customers
Paddy Power has been reprimanded by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) over a “misleading” advert the operator ran for the Cheltenham Festival.
The firm found itself in trouble for implying a promotion was available to anyone, when restrictions on who could enter were already in place.
The TV ad featured an actor who answered a phone labelled “Paddy Power COMPLAINTS”. The caller asked: “What’s this I hear about your incredible Cheltenham offer being available to everyone even riff-raff?” The actor replied: “That’s right, it’s one incredible offer.”
The operator’s advert included text stating “MONEY BACK AS A FREE BET 2ND ALL RACES CHELTENHAM”.
Twelve complaints were made, including eleven who were made aware the promotion in question had restrictions, challenging whether the advert implied the promotion was open to everyone.
Paddy Power had already emailed customers in advance who were excluded from promotions, bonuses or enhanced prices.
However, the ASA noted that comments made by the actor implied the promotion was open to anyone without exclusion.
The watchdog said: “Although we considered the restriction was not significant in itself, in a context where the ad stated that the promotion was open to everyone, whereas that was not the case, we considered the on-screen text “T&Cs apply” was not sufficient to alert consumers to the specific exclusion that applied to restricted customers.”
Paddy Power was told the ad must not appear in its current form, and not to state or imply a promotion is open to everyone if it is not the case.
The ASA dismissed complaints in relation to a press advert the operator also ran featuring the text “MONEY BACK AS A FREE BET IF YOUR HORSE FINISHED 2ND”.
The watchdog considered consumers were likely to understand that, as was commonly the case, the promotion had terms and conditions attached and was not therefore ruled not misleading.