[image credit : 888 Holdings]
The UK’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has banned an advert for online gambling operator 888 Holdings that featured images of comic book superhero Spider-Man.
The regulator upheld a complaint that the online advert, which was presented in a comic book style format and included a reference to ‘The Amazing Spider-Man’, could appeal to those who are under the legal age to gamble.
“The ASA understood members had to confirm they were aged 18 or over before they could register to play the game,” the regulator said.
“However, we noted the ad appeared on the website, which was accessible to visitors, regardless of whether they were members.
“We acknowledged that Spider-Man appealed to some adults but considered that the depiction of the popular comic book character was likely to have particular appeal to children and young people.
“The ad must not appear again in its current form. We told Cassava Enterprises (Gibraltar) Ltd, trading as, 888.com, not to use images that were likely to be of particular appeal to children or young people in future gambling ads.”
In other news, Irish bookmaker Paddy Power has invited agencies to come up with ‘even more outrageous’ public relations stunts, according to the PRWeek.com website.
The report said that Paddy Power is looking to establish a roster of agencies to come up with fresh ideas over the next year, culminating in the 2014 Fifa World Cup in Brazil.
The bookmaker has previously worked with agencies such as Taylor Herring and Frank PR and the report added that Paddy Power wants to expand its number of agency partners rather than replace its current relationships.
