OddsMonkey hit with third ASA warning over advertising
Betting operator censured over “irresponsible” matched betting ad
Matched betting firm OddsMonkey has been warned for the third time by the Advertising Standards Authority over text advertising used on its homepage.
The text in question invites players to “make money online” with OddsMonkey asserting that it is “simple for you to earn a tax-free second income”.
In its homepage advertising, the company said bettors using its software could minimise the risks associated with ordinary betting, adding that matched betting is not gambling “its about maximising your profit potential”.
A complainant to the ASA said the advertising “underplayed” the risks involved in matched betting, calling it “irresponsible”.
OddsMonkey asserted they had been careful to ensure the copy involved was socially responsible, and that they had not claimed that matched betting was 100% risk free.
The ASA dismissed these claims, saying that the advert had been irresponsible because of its “focus on the simplicity and high earning potential of the service, and its relative level of risk by comparison with traditional betting, in combination with the lack of prominent information about the actual risks involved”.
Upholding the complaint, the regulator has ordered OddsMonkey to remove the advertising from its site.
It is the third time that OddsMonkey has been censured by the ASA over its advertising, with the regulator upholding complaints over adverts in November 2017 and May 2018.