ASA Bans Ladbrokes Ad Format over Potential Appeal to Minors
The Advertising Standard Authority (ASA) has ruled that Ladbrokes' advert for its free-to-play game currency potentially targeted minors.
LISTEN TO THIS ARTICLE:The ad, which aired on December 17, 2024, featured LadBucks Arcade, where customers can collect currency by playing free games and redeem it for rewards, such as free spins and bets. LadBucks were shown as coins with the 'Lb' logo in the adverts, with a copy that read "100m LADBUCKS", Free Bets" and "Free Spins."
Following complaints that the ad's language, including 'Ladbucks,' might attract minors, the ASA launched an investigation.
According to the ASA, the term LadBucks, especially the 'bucks' part, closely resembled in-game currencies such as V-bucks and Robux used in Fortnite and Roblox.
The UK advertising watchdog said that although the brand name Ladbrokes itself wasn't likely to attract minors, the term 'lad' in conjunction with "bucks' made it potentially attractive to under-18s.
The ASA also criticized the visual design of the LadBucks tokens, noting that their round shape, shiny edges, and were too similar to V-bucks.
The ASA said: "Although we acknowledged that Ladbrokes offered poker and casino games, we considered it was not the use of poker chip imagery in isolation, but the use of the token's imagery when used in conjunction with the term LadBucks, that was likely to have been recognizable and perceived by many under-18s as similar to those in-game currencies of online games that were of strong appeal to under-18s."
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Ladbrokes’ Response
In its defense, Ladbrokes stated that it chose the name LadBucks as a nod to its own brand name and to convey value, with 'bucks' suggesting redeemable rewards on its site. The company also pointed out that the term had no roots in youth culture and wasn't associated with any popular video game currency.
Additionally, Ladbrokes stated that it implemented targeting restrictions on the ads to minimize the likelihood of children viewing them.
The firm asserted that it had conducted an analysis of the rewards program and saw no risk of LadBucks being confused with currencies from Fortnite or Roblox.
However, the ASA upheld the complaint and banned the ads from being shown in its current form on TV and on-demand services.
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