PlayOJO Advertisers Fined for Deceptive ‘Hot and Cold’ Feature
The UKs Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has imposed a penalty on SkillonNet for employing deceptive language in their PlayOJO brand advertising. The advertisements promoted a “hot and cold” feature intended to assist players in achieving victories.
Three individuals lodged complaints regarding a webpage, a blog entry, and a television commercial released in September 2021. All three advertisements discussed the new “hot and cold” feature, which indicated which games had recently paid out and which had not.
The website advertisement stated, “Wouldn’t it be fantastic to observe which games are yielding payouts and which are not, just as in a real casino? Now you can. You’ll witness the hottest and coldest games currently, alongside the time of their most recent significant payouts, based on actual game activity, updated every five minutes. You can toggle between hot and cold to determine which games are providing the most payouts and which are providing the least.”
However, two of the complainants asserted that the wording of the text was deceptive.
The ASA concluded that the advertisements were “misleading, suggesting that the ‘hot and cold’ feature could predict or influence future success; and could irresponsibly lead to financial, social, or emotional harm.”
A person expressing concern inquired about the inclusion of a tarot card reader in a promotional piece, asserting that it “unwisely capitalized on cultural convictions or customs surrounding wagering or fortune,” and the advertisement had been authorized by the review service Clearcast.
SkillOnNet countered that the “hot and cold” characteristic on its online platform merely informs users about the recent payout amounts for diverse online slots and casino games, and which games have not yielded winnings for a period.
They clarified that “the data is derived from an algorithm that refreshes every five minutes, utilizing real-time and precise game information,” adding that the feature seeks to mirror the scenario at a physical casino roulette table, where the dealer displays recent game history “to guide interested participants in deciding their next wager.”
Clearcast also provided input, stating that “the typical viewer would readily comprehend the context of the tarot cards’ use in the advertisement, namely that the fortune teller is engaging in deception by employing the PlayOJO app to access the ‘hot and cold’ feature.”
They further emphasized that the advertisement clearly depicts the player in the ad being required to make their own decision regarding how to proceed after receiving the fortune teller’s “guidance.”
In its evaluation, the ASA partially sustained the complaint regarding the feature’s irresponsibility: “The feature provides an indication of the game’s recent performance, but lacks a connection to the potential payout amount in the future.”
Promotional materials deceive gamers about the extent of their influence over their wagering, suggesting that utilizing this feature promotes reckless gambling and could result in financial, social, or emotional distress. This also contravenes the [CAP] guidelines.
Nevertheless, the third grievance concerning television advertising was not sustained. The ASA believes that employing a tarot card reader does not take advantage of cultural customs.
Sign up for the iGaming news bulletin.
