A television advert promoting PokerStars has been found to show gambling behaviour that is “socially irresponsible and in the context of recklessness” by UK regulator the Advertising Standards Authority.
Stars Interactive Group, the online gaming division of The Stars Group, 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 advert, shown on October 26, 2017, included a voice-over which 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 complainant challenged whether the ad exploited inexperienced poker players by suggesting that they could easily excel at the game and make large winnings, while the ASA challenged whether the ad portrayed gambling in the context of recklessness.
Clearcast, the organisation which 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 stated: “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.”
