An online advertising campaign featuring the retired Manchester Utd star Eric Cantona has become the latest gambling ad to be banned.  The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has taken the decision to ban the advert because they believe it promotes gambling as a way of escaping from personal problems.

The campaign was by the Partouche sportsbook and used to encourage bets throughout the European Championship football tournament back in the summer.  The ads showed Cantona dressed as a King on his throne and it included the slogans “Bet to forget” and “Bet or not to bet?  There is no question.”  The campaign was shown online and on TV.

The ASA said that they had received complaints that the advertisement gave a false impression that gambling would solve people’s problems and that the advert seeked to exploit many vulnerable people.

The Frenchman also said in the ad “Click or regret”.  The ASA took particular issue with this slogan as they said it gave the impression that gambling was a priority in life.

The advertising campaign cost Partouche £2.5 million and as well as encouraging people to gamble online with the French bookmaker, they also mocked England’s dismal failure to qualify for the tournament.  As you might expect seeing as Partouche are a French company.

In defence of the campaign, Partouche said that the adverts were just bringing a bit of humour to England’s absence from the European Championships and that the statements used in the ad were only meant to refer to the disappointment of England fans that the Three Lions weren’t playing.

There have recently been a number of gambling ads which the ASA have monitored and decided to ban or not to ban. Only back in August, a Wink Bingo advertisement was banned by the authority because it was viewed as promoting gambling in the workplace.  However, a Liberal Democrat MP’s bid to ban Foxy Bingo‘s advert which promoted its £10 free sign-up as he argued it was misleading was rejected by the ASA.     

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