Sweden’s advertising ombudsman Reklamombudsmannen has banned adverts from online gaming operators Unibet and Vera&John after it ruled they had misled customers.
Unibet produced an outdoor advertising and television commercial, while Vera&John opted for an online banner.
Unibet’s advert focused on its game store, while Vera&John’s advert carried a tagline of ‘From broke to 112,000 in a few hours’ – referring to a successful customer.
The adverts prompted Sweden’s Gaming Industry Ethical Council (SPER) to register a complaint with the Reklamombudsmannen – claiming they were misleading.
Both sets of adverts were found to be in breach of article 1 and 5 of the International Chamber of Commerce’s rules on marketing and advertising.
“Games can be seen by some as a way to solve personal financial problems and it is therefore particularly important that messages in advertising is designed with a sense of social responsibility and in accordance with good business practice in the industry,” SPER chairman Zenita Strandänger said.
