Swedish ombudsman calls for ban on Postcode Lottery’s advertising on Instagram
The Consumer Ombudsman is taking the lottery to court, arguing that the advertising is “not moderate”.
Sweden.- The consumer ombudsman Konsumentverket (KO) has taken issue with the advertising of the Swedish Postcode Lottery on Instagram. It argues that the lottery’s advertising on the social media platform is “not moderate” and should be banned.
The KO is reportedly taking the lottery to court over the matter since Swedish legislation requires advertising for licensed gambling to be moderate. Its interpretation of this rule is that
advertising must be limited to facts regarding the product offering and that it must be presented in as objective a form as possible.
It argues that the Postcode Lottery’s advertising has included several elements that breach this requirement. Examples cited include a video in which money rains down on a residential area and the creation of an impression that people are rushing to buy tickets.
“We want clarification on what the Gambling Act’s requirement for moderation means,” said Elin Berner, legal adviser at KO, in a press release.
KO wants the advertising banned and the operator fined if it fails to comply. However, the lottery is standing by its marketing.
“We do not share the Consumer Ombudsman’s assessment and therefore it is good that this is being tested,” it writes in a press release.
Last month, the Swedish gambling regulator Spelinspektionen announced that its supervision of five other Swedish lottery licensees turned up deficiencies in the information provided on physical lottery tickets. Spelinspektionen checked the licensees’ compliance with the technical requirements in the Swedish Gambling Act, the requirements for a fixed winning plan according to the Gambling Ordinance and requirements under Chapter 8, Sections 1-2 of LIFS 2018:4, regarding what information must be displayed on physical lottery tickets.
