Online Sportsbook Fitzdares has breached Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) guidelines on mentions of Covid in gambling ads by offering a free bet to customers who share proof of their vaccination status.
The British betting site has posted the offer on Twitter asking for proof of an NHS Covid Pass in exchange for a free £5 bet on its platform alongside an image of Novak Djokovic.
In recent advice issued on the ASA website, the authority encouraged people to report gambling ads that ‘refer to the COVID-19 crisis or related matters’.
The UK Chancellor also noted recently that both the government and the ASA had made a ‘commitment to act quickly and robustly against ads that exploit people’s health-related anxieties.’
The company also sent out a marketing email to all its users with the offer; a move that could potentially land the sports betting operator in hot water with the UK Gambling Commission.
The offer has drawn a lot of negative comments on Twitter with many users pointing out that the tweet and offer were in bad taste and contravene the ASA’s very straightforward guidelines on gambling ads.
Gambling Industry News has reached out to Fitzdares.com CEO William Woodhams and the UKGC for comment.
Ciaran has been working within the Gambling Industry as a deep analyst since 2019. His deep knowledge and understanding of all the gambling regulations, and processes makes him a true asset, and an always valuable point of view for Gambling Industry News, allowing us to cover every topics from a brand new perspective.