UK regulator raps PokerStars for 'encouraging bluffing' in TV ad

[The Buzz]

The UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) announced today that it has upheld a complaint made against Stars Interactive Ltd for a TV advertisement that "depicted an inexperienced player making a bluff at a home game." As a result, the company has been told not to show the ad again in its current form after it was found to have breached Broadcast Code rules 17.3.1 and 17.3.8.

The ad for Poker Stars aired on 26 October 2017 and included a voice-over that said:

“Here you are, the moment when bluffing is the only way to win, you’re freaking out kiddo, but think about all those times you bluffed yourself. Like the pull-up bar waiting for you to get back in-shape, that book you’re definitely going to read, your parents never ever had sex. Use that talent because if you can bluff yourself, you can bluff anyone. Pokerstars, you’re already a great poker player”

The issue with the ad, according to ASA, was twofold:

1. The complainant challenged whether the ad exploited inexperienced poker players by suggesting that they could easily excel at the game and make large winnings.

2. The ASA challenged whether the ad portrayed gambling in the context of recklessness.

Clearcast, the organization that pre-approves television advertising, argued that there was no suggestion that any player featured in the ad was new to playing poker and there was no message to viewers who may be new to poker that they should start playing. They also considered that as there was no money featured in the ad, there was no insinuation that large winnings might be made.

However, the ASA responded: “We considered that the message that bluffing should be attempted without any experience of playing poker or any understanding of poker strategy portrayed gambling behaviour in the context of recklessness and in a manner that could lead to financial harm.”

Read the entire complaint here: https://www.asa.org.uk/rulings/stars...17-404651.html

[universal4]

Wow, I wonder if this is only the beginning of clamping down on any kind of creative ads with any subtle suggestions of winning, large jackpots, who knows what is next.

Rick
Universal4

[PROFRBcom]

And now we see why some affiliate gravitate towards grey markets...

[Sherlock]

Here you are, the moment when bluffing is the only way to win, you’re freaking out kiddo, but think about all those times you bluffed yourself. Like that industry you’re definitely going to regulate. Like that gamblers you are going to protect. Like that you are useful for something else than your own salaries. Use that talent because if you can bluff yourself, you can bluff anyone. ASA, you’re already a great poker player.

[Sherlock]

And now we see why some affiliate gravitate towards grey markets...

Yes it is absolutely funny. In PT the 1xbet are doing really good. They pay affiliates well, they convert and we know how they treat players. So no taxes, upset gamblers and completely wild ads. That is the result.

Next round: domain blocking of grey websites

Next round after: domain blocking of affiliates

Last round: all gambling moves into deepweb and cryptos

[FreeSpins]

Yet another non-sense from the UKGC... Let's ban Coke (cuz it has sugar), Cigarettes (cuz it has nicotine), Beer (cuz it can damage your health), Cars (cuz it makes accidents), Knives (cuz it can your finger), Cell phones (it can affect your brain)...

Dear UKGC, why not to ban everything?

[Vargoso]

OMG...come on!!!

“We considered that the message that bluffing should be attempted without any experience of playing poker or any understanding of poker strategy portrayed gambling behaviour in the context of recklessness and in a manner that could lead to financial harm.”

[pokeraussie]

This is what society has become. Everyone should be wrapped up in cotton wool

[Former Member 14]

Seems the UKGC is more about revenue raising, than actually making any sort of common sense decisions.

[FreeSpins]

Agree, all about the money. With such strict regulations, they can easily find just a piece of information that breach the rules and punish with a huge fine... It should be called extra tax from online gambling

Btw... I'm afraid they will try to apply this stupid law to my username here, since it's not compliant LOL

[Former Member 14]

I'm afraid they will try to apply this stupid law to my username here, since it's not compliant

As funny as that is, it would not surprise me if once the UKGC have milked all they can out of operators, they start fine-combing through domain names, to see if they are in breach of UK compliance standards.

[tufty]

UKGC is all about generating money for themselves. They were set up by act of parliament as self-financing government body and are intent on building a bloated empire.

When I saw the advert, and it has been on a lot, I did think it was pushing it. It does strongly suggest that anybody who knows nothing about poker can play and win big by bluffing. It's quite a clever and enticing advert. But as for Poker Stars, I wouldn't cry for those affiliate-unfriendly crooks.

The UK gambling sector is a nanny state. Though Gambling Commission do nothing about the fact all UK bookies wont lay bets and restrict and close accounts in their hundreds of thousands. They allow SkyBet to steal money from self-excluded players and just give them a small fine instead of removing their licence.

The next step for UKGC will be to license affiliates, think of all the money.

[FreeSpins]

Grey Zone is the only solution. Curacao... and nothing else matters

[Former Member 14]

I don't promote to UK (have them blocked... along with AU), so doesn't affect me either way.
Just feel for those who committed strongly to this market.

Seems the wolf in sheep's clothing are making their true agenda known, now.

[nwalker]

Yet another non-sense from the UKGC... Let's ban Coke (cuz it has sugar), Cigarettes (cuz it has nicotine), Beer (cuz it can damage your health), Cars (cuz it makes accidents), Knives (cuz it can your finger), Cell phones (it can affect your brain)...

Dear UKGC, why not to ban everything?

This has nothing to do with the UKGC. This is the Advertising Standards Agency.

If you go to their website you'll see all the latest rulings against advertising and they come for all walks of life.

What you might want to pay more attention to is what they have to say about Affiliate marketing and the guidelines that all affiliates across all verticals/industries should be adhering to. It makes interesting reading

https://www.asa.org.uk/advice-online...marketing.html

[Triple7]

Yes it is absolutely funny. In PT the 1xbet are doing really good. They pay affiliates well, they convert and we know how they treat players. So no taxes, upset gamblers and completely wild ads. That is the result.

Next round: domain blocking of grey websites

Next round after: domain blocking of affiliates

Last round: all gambling moves into deepweb and cryptos

I doubt on that last one. I think they know pretty well that many people won't go to deepweb to gamble. Young people perhaps, but young people seem to be less interested in slot machines, roulette and blackjack than elder people.

I think within now and a few years, affiliates will be licensed in the UK, because that will be the next way to make money.

[Sherlock]

I am talking about around 15 years from now. When all online business and business will be restricted on similar level, so deepweb and cryptos will became a norm. I may be wrong. Maybe domain hopping will be still existing. I realized that after the crazy domains of 1xbet and bet365, now pinnacle and unibet jumped in and they also have random proxy domains for certain geos. Maybe this will not be significant and all will be about grey apps (=not those from Google play). The deepweb can be defined differently.

And it will be different people than now for sure.

Affiliates in UK can (and will) register as they want, but there is no point in it. For sportsbooks there already is not a single one from legals that makes sense to be promoted (taking in consideration bet365 stopped registrations). The market went from the best to garbage.

[Triple7]

Yes, young people than have grown up with that kind of things. That makes the step way smaller. For my parents for example, I see it as a too big step. For my kids, perhaps it won't even be a step.

But I think, there's still some time until this "shift". Time enough to destroy the business further. 15 years is quite a time in this business.

[PROFRBcom]

Yet another non-sense from the UKGC... Let's ban Coke (cuz it has sugar)

Ban it? No...

Tax the **** out of it? YES!!!!

At least, that's what is happening in certain places in the USA.




Which, as this kickass titled paper called "From Coke to Coors" reveals, is leading people to drink more alcohol instead of sugary drinks:

As a study by the Tax Foundation recently found, there are social consequences as well with people now choosing to substitute beer for soda in light of the fact that, well, beer is just cheaper.

Philadelphia's tax on sugary drinks has made soda more expensive than beer in the city.

The Tax Foundation released a new study on the excise tax last week, finding that the 1.5-cent per ounce tax has fallen short of revenue projections, cost jobs, and has forced some Philadelphians to drive outside the city to buy groceries.

The study finds that the tax is 24 times higher than the Pennsylvania tax rate on beer.

"Purchases of beer are also now less expensive than nonalcoholic beverages subject to the tax in the city,"according to the study, written by Courtney Shupert and Scott Drenkard. "Empirical evidence from a 2012 journal article suggests that soda taxes can push consumers to alcohol, meaning it is likely the case that consumers are switching to alcoholic beverages as a result of the tax. The paper, aptly titled From Coke to Coors, further shows that switching from soda to beer increases total caloric intake, even as soda taxes are generally aimed at caloric reduction."

My point with this is to back up what sherlock said about the consequences of UKGC's actions. The type of crap they are pulling is likely to have unintended consequences. Like... pushing people into dark web and cryptos and furthering the backlash against centralized establishment blah blah blah.