UK advertising watchdog spanks Bet-at-home over pubic promo

The UK’s advertising watchdog has rapped the knuckles of online betting operator Bet-at-home for linking gambling with sexual success.

On Tuesday, the UK Advertising Standards Authority publicly rebuked the Malta-licensed Bet-at-home, a subsidiary of French online betting operator BetClic Everest, over a racy tweet by a Bet-at-home affiliate.

The tweet, which was posted last November by Croatia-based affiliate BetPromotions4U, featured a close-up photo of a woman in the process of pulling her trousers down. Emblazoned on the woman’s knickers was the phrase: “If you can read this it’s your lucky day.” The tweet, which was promoting a Liverpool FC Europa League match, directed UK punters to the UK version of Bet-at-home.com.

The ASA felt the ad breached CAP Code prohibitions against linking gambling activity with sexual success. Bet-at-home stopped masturbating long enough to respond that the ad was indeed generated by their Malta office but wasn’t intended for a UK audience.