Demonstrating the strength of regulating the online gaming industry, England’s Advertising Standards Authority has banned an internet ad from one of Europe’s leading gaming operations.

According to the Gaming Intelligence Group, French gaming operator Partouche Casino, which not only operates a poker room but is also the sponsor of the French-based Partouche Poker Tour (PPT), was running internet advertising that featured the catch phrases “Bet to forget” and “Click or regret”. In the view of the UK’s ASA, these statements were “irresponsible” in that they seemingly preyed upon people. The ASA said that the statements could possibly be construed as meaning that people should use gambling as a way to get away from personal issues.

Partouche responded that the ads were a way of getting to their British customers. The company simply stated they wanted to ease the pain that many in the UK felt from the national team not making it into the 2008 European soccer championships and that the line “Bet to forget” was only referring to that. In regard to the “Click or regret” statement, Partouche said it was trying to get people to its website after the ASA determined their first idea, “Bet or regret,” could be made out to imply gambling was indispensable in a person’s life.

The ASA determined that both statements that were used weren’t clear in their intents and that they would not be allowed for internet advertising. They based their findings on the regulatory sub-agency, the Committee of Advertising Practices, and sections 57.2, 57.4b and 57.4c of their regulatory codes.

The ASA has been quite vigilant in adhering to these gaming codes. In addition to the ads from Partouche, the organization has also taken on Poker Stars, PKR, William Hill, InterCasino, Paddy Power Poker and Ladbrokes over differing violations of their codes over the past year. Even with these high profile violators, the ASA does report that there is a nearly 99% rate of compliance with the advertisements that they have reviewed.

The CAP codes were put into effect in September 2007 to hold online gaming and poker rooms to higher standards than others in the advertising industry. The most important of these edicts was the ability to ensure that advertising was socially responsible and protected vulnerable and young people. With the ASA and other agencies diligently policing the internet gaming and poker world, it does demonstrate the ability to have a safely regulated industry.

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