ASA rules ShortsandLongs.com ad glamorises gambling

by Sarah Crawley-Boevey, Brand Republic 11-Feb-09, 09:10

LONDON - The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has upheld a complaint that an ad for spread betting company ShortsandLongs.com showing a confident man sitting between two attractive women glamorised gambling.

Today's ruling comes after one member of the public claimed the regional press ad referred to gamblers as "traders" and implied that gambling made men more attractive to women.

The ad for the website, which was launched in September 2008 as a way to trade financial markets through spread betting, bore the copy, "We believe all traders deserve privileges which is why we offer: Free guaranteed stops", and claimed to make spread betting more rewarding.

The complaint about the reference to gamblers as traders was not upheld by the watchdog, as it was deemed readers were likely to understand the term in the context of an ad for a gambling product, given that "trader" is a common term to describe certain people in the financial services sector.

However, the ASA upheld the criticism that the ad made men seem more attractive, saying the women in the picture were touching the man's arms intimately and decided readers were likely to infer that one of the rewards of success in spread betting was enhanced attractiveness and increased sexual success.

ShortsandLongs.com has today hit back at the ruling, saying the site actually reduces the risks of spread betting.

The company, which is the trading name of Spreadex Ltd, also believes it is leading the way in responsible gambling rather than glamorising betting.

ASA rules ShortsandLongs.com ad glamorises gambling