UK Advertising Watchdog Flags Lottoland for Misleading Lottery Ads
The United Kingdom’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) supported a grievance regarding Lottoland advertisements displayed on Bing and Google.
The individual submitting the complaint believed the promotions were deceptive as Lottoland provides wagers on lottery results, not genuine lottery entries. Lottoland’s advertisements on Bing and Google featured phrases such as “Irish Lotto – Only £2 on Lottoland” and “£2 Charity Combo. Charity lottery with TWICE the opportunity to win + BRC scratchcard at half price. Assist UK charities here.” Although Lottoland consented to modify the advertisements, the ASA decided in favor of the complainant because technological difficulties with external ad formats prevented Lottoland’s alterations from being implemented.
Moreover, the ASA found that employing terms like “lotto,” “Irish Lotto,” and “US Powerball Lotto” (without additional clarification) might misdirect customers into believing the advertisements provided an opportunity to participate in those official lotteries.
Even more troubling, the ASA perceived that referencing UK charitable organizations contributed to the perception that Lottoland was an authorized lottery administrator.
These findings indicated that Lottoland was in breach of the CAP Code regulations 3.1 and 3.3 (Deceptive advertising).
Consequently, the ASA determined that Lottoland’s advertisements could not be presented in their original form on either Bing or Google.
The authority responsible for monitoring advertisements issued a warning to Lottoland, essentially stating, “You must explicitly communicate to individuals that they are not purchasing genuine lottery entries through your platform. Your service involves wagering on lottery results, which constitutes a completely distinct concept.”
Furthermore, they received instructions to cease concealing this vital distinction within the terms and conditions. Moving forward, every advertisement is obligated to prominently and transparently disclose this information.
