Leading British bookmaker Ladbrokes is in hot water over their advertising of a free-to-play game currency that was likened to Fortnite V-bucks.
The television advert which hit screens in December featured a voiceover saying: “This is a LadBuck, the new way to get rewarded at Ladbrokes, and these are some of the 100 million LadBucks that will be dropping weekly.
“Collect them on our free to play games and choose rewards like free spins, free bets and more. Plus you can even use them to play your favourite games for free in our LadBucks arcade. Like Fishin’ Frenzy and Goldstrike.”
Customers can collect LadBucks by playing free-to-play games, converting the currency into rewards like free spins and free bets.
ASA Believes LadBucks Share Striking Similarities To Fortnite’s V-bucks and Roblox’s Robux
As seen below, the coins that displayed the initials ‘LB’ and specifically the term ‘bucks’ had ‘strong similarities’ to in-game currencies in Fortnite and Roblox – V-bucks and Robux respectively.
Earlier this year, a survey by Stealth Gaming found that Fortnite – a battle royale video game – had been played at least once by more than 60% of children aged between eight and 12.
Roblox is another game with a young demographic with an estimated 40% of players aged 13 or under and the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ruled LadBucks were likely to appeal to under-18s.
The ASA said the term ‘lad’ would have been recognised and of appeal to children alongside the word buck. They also criticised the appearance of the tokens, explaining the round nature and shine around the edges with an initial in the centre is similar to a V-buck.
The self-regulatory organisation of the UK’s advertising industry admitted that at the time, a Robux was a different shape but previously it resembled a poker chip with the initial R and a dollar sign in the middle.
ASA Rules LadBucks Were Of Strong Appeal To Under-18s, Despite Company Protests
The ASA said: “The use of the token’s imagery when used in conjunction with the term LadBucks, that was likely to have been recognisable and perceived by many under-18s as similar to those in-game currencies of online games that were of strong appeal to under-18s.”
The watchdog found that the way LadBucks tokens could be used on the firm’s platform was likely to be reminiscent of the way V-bucks and Robux were used.
Ladbrokes, regarded as one of the biggest online casinos in the UK, insisted their advertisements had targeting restrictions to reduce the likelihood of children viewing them and argued they had reviewed the rewards programme, believing there was no risk of LadBucks being associated with Fortnite or Roblox.
The company said certain elements of Robux required parental consent and for subscription services, the buyer must be at least 18.
A spokesman for Ladbrokes said the firm was disappointed by the ruling and is seeking an independent review of what they consider to be be a flawed decision.
Joe Lyons is a betting industry writer for GamblingIndustryNews with years of experience on reputable gambling websites. Joe specialises in long form content in the world of sports betting and gambling. Joe is recognised as an expert in sports fields such as horse racing, soccer, NFL and NBA.
