PokerStars ad banned for promoting “reckless” gambling
Advertising Standards Authority says TV advert suggested players could win big by bluffing
A PokerStars television advert has been banned by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) for depicting socially irresponsible and reckless gambling behaviour.
The ad hit screens in October 2017 and showed a man playing poker at home with friends while a voiceover said: “Here you are, the moment when bluffing is the only way to win, you’re freaking out kiddo, but think about all those times you bluffed yourself.
“Like the pull-up bar waiting for you to get back in-shape, that book you’re definitely going to read, your parents never ever had sex.
“Use that talent because if you can bluff yourself, you can bluff anyone. PokerStars, you’re already a great poker player.”
A complainant challenged whether the ad exploited inexperienced poker players by suggesting that they could easily excel at the game through bluffing to make large winnings.
PokerStars argued against the complaint, stating that no money had been involved in the advert and that the poker chips had been removed of their values.
The operator said that bluffing is not reckless because it is an essential part of many card games and that the players depicted in the ad were clearly experienced and at ease, playing at home on their own poker table.
The ASA noted the PokerStars service being advertised including playing for money which emphasised the interpretation that money was being played for in the poker game.
The regulator considered that viewers may think they were able to win large sums of money by making big ‘all in’ bluffs, based solely on their experience of bluffing in real life situations.
The ASA subsequently ruled the ad portrayed gambling behaviour in the context of recklessness and in a manner that could lead to financial harm, adding the ad must not appear again in current form.