Tabcorp to appeal Australian ad ban
Operator refutes claims its recent TV campaign "glorifies gambling addiction"
Tabcorp has announced it will appeal an advertising ban handed down to the operator by the Australian Advertising Standards Bureau (ASB).
A member of the public complained that a Tabcorp TV spot “glorified gambling and gambling addiction,”a complaint which the advertising watchdog upheld.
The controversy centred over showing a man returning from a fishing trip, reminiscing in his head about the weekend watching sport and gambling.
While his girlfriend asks him about the trip, he smiles and tells her it was great without mentioning that he was gambling.
The advertising watchdog ruled the clip “encouraged excessive participation in wagering activities, with wagering taking a priority in a participant’s life”, therefore breaking Section 2.8 of the Wagering Code.
However Tabcorp disputed the ruling, arguing that the ad was intended to demonstrate the depth of its racing app in a “light-hearted and humorous manner”.
The operator said it will seek an independent review of the decision, although it will stop broadcasting the ad in the meantime.
A separate ruling from the ASB also cleared Ladbrokes from wrongdoing, after one if its radio adverts was broadcast during a children’s TV show.
The operator said the ad had been played at the wrong time due to a human error at the radio station, and the ASB agreed that it was not deliberately targeting under-18s.