Football betting site RequestABet.com poster ad misleading?

The ASA have made a recent adjudication and upheld a complaint made against Sohi Capital Partners who had a poster advertising campaign for their football betting site RequestABet.com. The poster which caused one person to complain featured a group of men with a football, fists raised in the air in celebration with a headline ‘Beating the City Boys at their own game’ and the text "RETURNED 13.56% LAST SEASON, THIS SEASON PROMISES TO BE EVEN MORE LUCRATIVE. WITH: INFLATION EATING AWAY AT SAVINGS. PROPERTY MARKET IN CRISIS. STOCK MARKET SUFFERING IN CONFIDENCE. WHY NOT TRY AN ALTERNATIVE METHOD. LOG ONTO WWW.REQUESTABET.COM ... ". The ASA made the ruling agreeing with the complainant that the football betting advert was considered to be misleading and irresponsible and which ultimately means that the advert is unable to be shown in that format again.

The ASA also made reference to a lack of response from Sohi Capital Partners which is in breach of the CAP code which requires prompt responses to be sent to all enquiries from the ASA. The ASA had requested substantiating evidence for the returns quoted on the poster of 13.56% of which the football betting company did not submit.

Requestabet.com themselves are seemingly unrepentant and even have a company announcement on their website stating that at no time did the football betting site have a request for verification of figures quoted which would have been forthcoming should it have been received. Requestabet.com have also stated that they are in communication with the ASA to have the adjudication result reconsidered as they are willing and able to verify all their claims made regarding their football betting service. They have also stated that the ASA have totally missed the rather obvious humour in the advert, which they regard as tongue in cheek.

The Hideout will keep you posted as to any developments although it is felt unlikely that the ASA will overturn their previous decision.