Lottoland hit with ad ban for implying it sold lottery tickets
Radio ad for EuroMillions bets labelled “misleading” by Advertising Standards Agency
A Lottoland ad has been banned for implying the operator sold EuroMillions tickets rather than taking bets on the draw.
The Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) ruled that a Lottoland radio ad aired in September was “misleading” and must not be aired again.
The ad in question featured a voice-over saying: “Chimp can’t believe it. At Lottoland the EuroMillions still costs just £2. Not £2.50. This Friday’s jackpot £100m. So with Lottoland you can win the big jackpot for less. Download the app or go to lottoland.co.uk and get your first bet free.”
Another voice-over then referred to the legal disclaimer and added: “One free bet is on EuroMillions or equivalent price lottery. Terms apply see site for details over 18s only gambleaware.co.uk.”
Lottoland argued the ad clearly referred to a bet, but the ASA said it was not enough to dispel the impression given at the start of the ad that a lottery was being promoted.
“Therefore, because we considered the ad implied participants would be playing in a lottery, rather than in a gambling game, we concluded it was misleading,” the ASA said.
Lottoland was also warned to ensure future advertising did not imply participants would be entering a lottery.
Despite the ban, the operator recently claimed it saw a 536% rise in sales when offering bets on the EuroMillions at £2, compared to Camelot’s £2.50 price tag for a ticket.