UK ad watchdog upholds Bonus Accumulator complaints

Three complaints argued that online adverts for the brand were socially irresponsible.

UK.- The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has upheld three complaints that claimed an advert for Bonus Accumulator was socially irresponsible.

The adverts ran in a sponsored Facebook post and on the Bonus Accumulator’s website in June.

One featured a video with a voiceover reading customer testimonials including one that read: “This is my 45th day of isolation … this money is so welcome as I haven’t earned anything in six weeks …”

The ad finished with a voiceover that said: “It is almost statistically certain that you will make a profit if you do enough offers.”

A complainant said this suggested that “casino bonus hunting could be a way to achieve financial security.”

The other advert carried a statement which said, “casino bonuses are not gambling because just like matched betting, we give you an edge that allows you to beat the bookies…”

Again is claimed, “it is almost statistically certain that you will make a profit.”

The complainant said this was socially irresponsible, misleading and questioned whether the claims could be substantiated.

Profit Accumulator, which runs Bonus Accumulator, argued that “casino bonus hunting” was a system that allowed consumers to exploit casino bonuses when there was a statistical edge, allowing members to take advantage of free online casino bonuses and promotions.

It argued that in the context of earlier statements in the ads, including the phrase “I cannot promise you that you will make money”, the statement could not be deemed irresponsible or materially significant.

However, the ASA upheld the complaints. It said: “We had not seen any evidence to demonstrate that any users of the system had been successful and achieved profits as a result of using the system.

“We therefore concluded that the system’s success and profitability had not been substantiated, and so the claim “It is almost statistically certain that you will make a profit” was likely to mislead.”

The ads must not appear again in the same form and future communications must “not present gambling as an alternative to employment or a way to achieve financial security”, nor “irresponsibly downplay the risk involved in gambling.”

The ASA recently banned a gambling ad from Electraworks.