UK bookmaker William Hill has fallen afoul of the nation’s advertising watchdog for the second week in a row, this time for being too sexy for its own damn good.
On Wednesday, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) upheld a complaint by a user of the dating app Tinder, who took offense at a Hills advert that appeared in March promoting the upcoming Cheltenham racing festival.
The ad included copy evidently styled to appeal to Tinder users, asking: “Stuck in the friend zone? You won’t be for much longer if you use this Cheltenham free bet offer.” The complainant felt the ad was in violation of the UK’s advertising code by linking gambling to sexual success.
Hills’ defense was somewhat half-baked, simultaneously suggesting that, like Tinder users, Hills bettors were prone to ‘shop around’ for the best offer. But in the ASA’s words, “upon reflection, [Hills] agreed that [the ad] had the potential to be interpreted differently.”