Advertising Standards Authority published rulings on complaints against two gambling operators.

The self-regulatory organisation of the UK advertising industry scolded Gibraltar-based Gala Interactive but did not take any actions against Betfair.

The two gambling companies faced accusations of being irresponsible to their customers because of TV ads which could have created wrong impressions for potential players.

Gala Interactive responded to the accusations, saying that the associations made by the wording of the ad were apparently with Britain’s Got Talent show, and denied that it implied that skills or “talent” were involved in playing the games provided by its website.

The ASA investigated on the complaint and found that the wording of the ad was not suitable, as in the context of the TV commercial it could only be taken as an invitation for the potential customers to gamble online.

The organisation further noted that in that context, the claim suggested that players could count on their skills to win at a game of chance. Therefore, the ASA found that the ad was socially irresponsible.

The ASA concluded that the TV ad must be taken down by Coral Interactive and must not appear in its current form any more.