The Irish Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has forced a major betting operator to withdraw two promotional videos following a breach of fundamental safety and ethical guidelines.
The watchdog ruled that the advertisements exploited financial fears and promoted gambling as a reliable source of income.
Problematic Marketing Tactics
The first non-compliant ad suggested users could “generate income from the bathroom,” depicting a man playing on his phone while on the toilet. The second, more controversial video, showed a mother struggling to pay rent before claiming she had earned thousands through the app. Regulators deemed this “emotional manipulation” of vulnerable individuals.
The Affiliate Compliance Gap
The operator attributed the breach to “human error” within a third-party mobile affiliate partner. According to the company, a new affiliate employee failed to use approved compliance templates.
A spokesperson for the betting operator stated:
“The company shares strict advertising guidelines with its partners… this unnamed worker simply forgot to check the official compliance templates. Our marketing team automatically approved the videos without performing proper checks.”
As a result, the operator has mandated compliance training for all staff and is reviewing its relationship with the affiliate agency. This incident serves as a stern warning to the industry: Irish regulators expect absolute perfection regarding player safety and will hold operators accountable for the actions of their external marketing partners.
