Two ads for 32Red have been banned by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) for "appealing to children." The ads appeared alongside search results when the search term “Jack and the Beanstalk” was entered.
From Lexology:
The first ad stated “Jack and the Beanstalk 32Red.com Get a 150% Bonus up to £150. First Deposit Bonus & My Red Rewards Daily Offers. Join 32Red Casino today & get £15 free for every £10 deposited up to £150. 24/7 Support.”
The second ad stated “Jack and the Beanstalk Get a 150% Bonus up to £150 32Red.com 32Red.com – First Deposit Bonus & My Red Rewards Daily Offers. Join 32Red Casino today & get £15 free for every £10 deposited up to £150. 24/7 Support. Award Winning Casino. Fast Payments. Types: 550+ Online Slots, Progressive Jackpots, Table Games, Live Casino.”The two paid-for Google ads appeared when people searched Google for "Jack and the Beanstalk."
The ASA’s investigation looked at two issues. Firstly, were the adverts likely to appeal to children? Secondly, were the adverts directed at those aged below 18 years of age?Read more here: https://www.lexology.com/library/det...8-84ba6ced1c5232Red confirmed that the two adverts were part of a wider marketing strategy which targeted users that searched terms that corresponded to the names of various 32Red games. One such term was “Jack and the Beanstalk” which corresponds to a “high-risk” game of the same name that could be played on 32Red’s website.
The company said that because “Jack and the Beanstalk” was a “high-risk” game, only those that have been age verified would be able to actually play the game but admitted that the adverts had appeared in error. As soon as this was brought to 32Red’s attention the adverts were removed and steps were taken to ensure that high-risk games did not appear in keyword lists for sponsored adverts again.
Here is a link to the official ASA ruling: https://www.asa.org.uk/rulings/32red...9-1019068.html
And finally, our own J. Todd discusses the story in this week's APCW Perspectives: https://www.gpwa.org/forum/clear-ice...-a-250058.html