The Irish Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has granted a complaint against Tonybet concerning a radio advertisement that failed to guide listeners to information about responsible gambling.
The advertisement, featuring former Ireland soccer player Tony Cascarino, was promoting Tonybet’s online casino in Ireland. Cascarino, who represented his country 89 times and played notably at the 1990 World Cup where Ireland reached the quarter-finals, lent his voice to the ad. He exclaimed, “Don’t you just love it when things go your way? Jackpot! The days are getting longer. Jackpot! I’ve just found a fiver in my jacket. Jackpot! I’m still getting asked for selfies for playing in Italia 90. It’s a lucky time to be in Ireland, and now you can try your luck on Ireland’s new online casino, TonyBet.com.”
One individual complained that the ad violated the ASA’s code by failing to direct listeners to resources related to responsible gambling. After Cascarino’s part in the ad, a generic voiceover stated: “Over 18s only. Please gamble responsibly.”
Following the complaint, Tonybet retracted the advertisement, citing “human error” since the marketing material had not gone through an internal compliance review. The company addressed the issue with its marketing team’s management and arranged additional training to prevent similar mistakes.
The ASA’s statement emphasized Tonybet’s commitment to adhering to regulations in Ireland and clarified that the problematic ad release was an employee error, not a deliberate company action.
The ASA appreciated Tonybet’s quick response to pull the ad but also recognized that a breach had occurred. They noted, “While the advertisement encouraged gambling responsibly, it lacked a directive to a resource for information on responsible gambling.”
The article “Ireland’s ASA Upholds Tonybet Radio Ad Complaint” first surfaced on EGR Intel.