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Online Casino Ad Criticized by Church
24
October 2005
Victor Chandler, a
popular online casino company, has recently released a
poster ad campaign that has offended The Methodist
Church. The ads, which features comedian Rowland Rivron,
are accused of being irresponsible by the church for
linking gambling with drinking.
One of the posters, which appeared both in the London
Underground and on London Buses, shows Rivron sitting at
a bar using a laptop on his lap and holding a drink in
his hand. The Caption of the ad reads “See life in a new
light”. However, the other poster that was released
features Rivron in a barber shop with the laptop in his
lap and his fists clenched in triumphant joy.
According to Victor Chandler, the ads for the online
casino were meant to show that online gambling can be
enjoyed in a variety of places from a laptop computer,
and that online gambling doesn’t have to be limited to
personal computers. Other posters that are set to be
featured around London include Rivron on a bed, boating
lake and bus with a laptop.
Victor Chandler went on to say that the ads were not
intended to link gambling with drinking, and upholds
that there is nothing within the ads that display or
encourage unwise gambling or intoxication. Furthermore,
the popular online casino group went on to argue that
showing someone with an alcohol beverage while gambling
is not socially irresponsible, because people are
allowed to, and frequently drink and gamble in
land-based casinos, pubs, clubs and racetracks.
In the end, The Advertising Standards Authority
overlooked the complaint, saying that consumers would
not interpret the ads as promoting intoxication or
unwise gambling, and would see them for the purpose they
were created – that online gambling can be enjoyed in a
variety of locations.
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