The UK’s advertising watchdog has spanked the operator of online gambling site 21.co.uk for a television commercial that somehow made a man in a tuxedo look too tough.

This week, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) took issue with 21.co.uk’s owner, the Alderney-based Intellectual Property & Software Ltd (IPS), for a television spot (viewable below, at least for the time being) featuring a tuxedoed man playing blackjack at a land-based casino table.

A voiceover described the man’s heart pounding while his body remained still. “Heart versus head. Emotion versus reason. He makes his move. He makes his own luck.” As luck would have it, the man’s bet proves a winner and he smiles with satisfaction.

A TV viewer complained that the ad was socially irresponsible because the man appeared to be experiencing the kind of psychological thrill enjoyed by gambling addicts. Meanwhile, the ASA itself suggested the phrase “he makes his own luck” implied that gambling involved more skill than chance, while the bloke’s demeanor “portrayed gambling in a context of toughness.”