TonyBet rapped over two gambling ads in Ireland
The Irish advertising watchdog has upheld complaints against two adverts shown on YouTube.
Ireland.- The Irish Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has upheld complaints against two adverts from TonyBet. Both ads were shown on YouTube.
In one case, the video showed a gambler using his phone while on the toilet. Text read: “Only 3% of people can do this. Make money while sitting on the toilet.”
One complainant argued the commercial made out that gambling was easy and minimised its risks. The ASA agreed, concluding that the phrase “Make money while sitting on the toilet” implied gambling could serve as a reliable income source. It warned that such messaging risked financial harm. It ruled that the advert “must not reappear in its current form.”
Following the complaint, TonyBet “urgently discontinued non-compliant advertisements with immediate effect,” according to the report. It attributed the issue to “a mobile affiliation partner” responsible for the ad, citing human error. It claimed that “due to a high workload, the TonyBet Marketing team missed the material in question.”
The company assured the ASA it was “fully committed to the compliance with respective rules and regulations in the territory of Ireland,” stressing that the offending ad was not intentional but “a mistake of a third party employee.”
A second YouTube video from TonyBet featured a woman holding a baby with text reading: “It’s hard to pay my rent and take care of my babies.” The clip then showed her giving a thumbs up alongside the words: “But I made $8,500 last month.”
One complainant said the ad “targeted vulnerable individuals and perpetuated dangerous stereotypes, potentially encouraging harmful gambling behaviours.” Another argued that it created “the dangerous impression that gambling could resolve personal or financial difficulties, targeting vulnerable individuals, and encouraging harmful gambling behaviour.”
The ASA again ordered that the advertisement must not reappear in its current form.
The decisions come shortly after the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI) began accepting Irish gambling licence applications on Monday February 9. The new licensing regime is being introduced under Ireland’s Gambling Regulation Act 2024 and marks a milestone for the GRAI’s regulatory and oversight capabilities. Today’s order also commences other key elements of the legislation, including the GRAI’s enforcement and complaints functions.
