Happy Families Gamble

If anyone was in any doubt about the place of gambling in making for a happy family, I can only assume that an advert' I saw on the television tonight (for Ladbroke's 'Kick Off' iphone application) will be most useful in clearing up any confusion. The advert showed what looked like a happy couple moving up a gear and becoming ecstatic at the prospect of using their iphone (four) to put a bet on. The male member of the couple was selecting the game whilst the female nodded her agreement and applauded the choice!

Considering that as many as one in ten of the population are reported to have problems because of their gambling in the hope that their winning will assist their financing themselves out of the recession (source: Credit Action) and considering the reality that something like £50bn is spent on various forms of gambling in the UK, the advert is, in my view, outrageously misleading and dangerous as well.

Statistics tell of four properties an hour (every hour) being repossessed and fifteen people an hour (every hour) being declared insolvent (or bankrupt)and this problem needs to be addressed. This leads me to a place where I have to say, whether I sound like a killjoy or not, that such advertising is irresponsible as it only increases the problem rather than diminishes it.

Where I serve we have a number of families who have unmanageable debt and homes where gambling is a problem and facilities such as that advertised sure aren't going to help the situation any!

We need to be assisting those around us to break free of their problem areas and therefore as a step in that direction, I will be voicing my dissent with the relevant authorities tomorrow (the ASA).

To contact them regarding anything you consider to breache the 'legal, decent, honest and truthful' criteria or for something that 'causes offence', click on the link below.

We're not killjoys and I abhor the 'nanny state' mentality but we do have a duty to protect some people from themselves - this, as I see it is one of those times.

Advertising Standards

Pax