William Hill’s Tinder ad banned for linking gambling with “sexual success”
ASA bans Hills message that urged users to “get out of the friend zone” by betting on Cheltenham Festival
A William Hill ad published on the dating app Tinder has been banned by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) for linking gambling with “sexual success”.
One person complained to the ASA after seeing a paid-for media message on the app in March that read: “Stuck in the friend zone? You won’t be for much longer if you use this Cheltenham free bet offer….”
The complainant suggested Hills’ ad breached guidelines by linking gambling with sexual success and the ASA agreed, pointing out the CAP Code that says gambling marketing must be socially responsible and “should not link gambling to seduction, sexual success or enhanced attractiveness”.
In response, Hills said the offer was supposed to relate to the nature of the business that they were advertising on (Tinder), but conceded it had the potential to be interpreted differently.
The London-listed operator removed the advert and told the ASA it would conduct a full review of its existing marketing content on the popular dating app.
The ASA concluded that the ad implied those who gambled would be more likely to develop a friendship into a sexual relationship and ruled it must not appear again in its existing form.