ASA upholds PokerStars complaint over Instagram slots ad
Short clip, featuring two YouTube personalities, is determined by regulator to have portrayed a “false sense of success” over consistently high winnings from slot game
The Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) has upheld a complaint made against a PokerStars advert and warned the Flutter-owned operator it must adhere to its code of practice.
The ad in question came in the form of an Instagram post that was uploaded on 23 December 2024 and featured two YouTube personalities, Adam McKola and Rory Jennings.
The duo host the weekly football-focused podcast The Club having risen to internet popularity on The Kick Off, a web series fronted by one-time PokerStars brand ambassador True Geordie.
In the ad, both McKola and Jennings are seen to be in a casino, with one donning PokerStars merchandise before Jennings says: “Can you believe that? I invested £100 and five minutes later, [bleep]”.
The short clip then provides context via a flashback that shows McKola telling viewers: “McKola and Rory here, and PokerStars Casino have set us a little challenge. We’ve got £100 each Rory, 10 spins, who’s going to win?”
The pair proceed to compete on separate slot machines, playing Big Bass Bonanza.
After one spin, McKola declares he has won £185, before adding “another £100” while the camera shows his credit climb to £320.
Jennings asks for some tips, to which McKola quips “you’ve got to heat your finger up”, prompting his fellow pundit to blow on his finger before pushing the button and winning money.
By the time the ad ends, McKola has won £662.50 and Jennings £240, with McKola declaring: “I’m just a lucky guy.”
“He beat me at everything […] and now he’s beating me at slots,” Jennings bemoans.
As the video draws to a close, the same footage that started the clip begins to play again, but this time with Jennings declaring: “Can you believe that? I invested £100 and five minutes later, £240 because of my skill at slots.”
Under the post, the caption reads: “@chelsearory can’t catch a break! #PokerStars #Poker #PokerTournament #PokerLife #PokerPlayer. Play Responsibly. +18. BeGambleAware.org”
Following its broadcast on Instagram, the ASA received a complaint from a member of the public who expressed concern over whether the ad “portrayed, condoned or encouraged gambling behaviour that was socially irresponsible or could lead to financial harm”.
PokerStars has since acknowledged that the ad did not adhere to the Non-broadcast Advertising and Direct & Promotional Marketing rules, otherwise known as the CAP Code.
The operator claimed that the clip was posted in error and removed from Instagram following contact from the ASA.
PokerStars also stressed that all employees involved in UK ad campaigns receive mandatory advertising compliance training.
Despite this, the ASA outlined its reasons for upholding the complaint, noting that the ad violated the CAP Code as operators are instructed not to “portray, condone or encourage gambling behaviour that was socially irresponsible or could lead to financial, social or emotional harm”.
Both CAP and the UK Code of Broadcast Advertising (BCAP) guidance on gambling marketing materials specifies that companies must avoid trivialising gambling or suggest the decision to gamble should be taken lightly.
The ASA determined that given the ad shows McKola winning large sums of money within a short time frame, the message conveyed is what the authority describes as “a false sense of guaranteed success”.
That summation was reinforced by ad’s implication that Jennings, the ‘loser’ of the challenge, still made money.
Likewise, the choice of words spoken by McKola insinuated playing slots was a form of ‘investment’ also caught the attention of the ASA.
The authority noted that the language, combined with the action of blowing on a finger, implied that luck or superstitions could lead to prizes.
“We considered that the claim that playing slots was an investment, together with the portrayal of easy and repetitive wins, gave the impression that the decision to gamble had been taken lightly and was therefore likely to encourage some consumers to participate repetitively,” the ASA’s ruling stated.
“For those reasons, we concluded that the ad portrayed, condoned and encouraged gambling behaviour that was socially irresponsible and could lead to harm, and therefore breached the [CAP] Code.”
PokerStars was told the ad must not appear again in its current form and that future ads should adhere to existing regulations and frameworks.
EGR has contacted Flutter for further comment.