ASA says 888’s ‘£88 Free’ promotion was misleading

888Casino has found itself censured for its advertising once again by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) after complaints that the operator’s £88 free promotion could only give users a maximum £20 cash.

One complainant, who signed up for the offer after seeing a poster on a London Underground platform, subsequently discovered that “free play” winnings needed to be wagered 30 times before withdrawal and that players could only withdraw a maximum of £20, and challenged whether ad was misleading. The ASA has agreed with the complaint.

It explained: “The ASA understood that individuals signing up for the offer would be awarded £88 “free play”, but that their winnings were restricted to a maximum of £20, and had to be wagered 30 times before any remaining balance could be withdrawn. We noted, however, that the ad simply stated “£88 Free”, and whilst smaller print at the bottom of the ad stated “T’s & C’s [sic] apply”, it did not provide any further information.

“We noted that the ad was untargeted and that a number of consumers might not be familiar with online betting or 888.com, or common practices such as wagering requirements. We considered that the restrictions imposed regarding winnings and withdrawals was significant information which would inform an individual’s understanding of the offer and their decision whether to sign up or not, and so should have been stated in the ad. Because the ad did not make clear that those restrictions applied, we concluded that it was misleading.”

The ASA said that the ads must not be shown again in their current form, but had positive words to say about 888: “We welcomed 888Casino’s willingness to amend their ads, and advised them to ensure they clearly presented any significant information relating to an offer in future.”