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The UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has backed a complaint against William Hill regarding a promotional voucher that the betting company offered in its shops. The ASA ruled that this promotion encouraged irresponsible gambling behaviour.
Issued on April 3, the voucher automatically printed from a slot machine, declaring, “You’ve won a £5 cash match on any game! Redeemable between 03/04/2025 – 03/04/2025 from 05:20 PM – 11:59 PM in any venue.”
Concerns were raised by the complainant about the timing of the voucher’s redemption window. The fact that it started over five hours after issuance was deemed socially undesirable. The ASA noted that such a long wait could lead to players spending excessive time in the betting shop or engaging in repeated betting, ultimately promoting risky gambling habits.
William Hill claims it didn’t break CAP Code
In response to the complaint regarding the promotional voucher, William Hill maintained that it adhered to the CAP Code. The company argued that the voucher, which printed at 11:51 AM but couldn’t be redeemed until after 5:20 PM, was not socially irresponsible.
They pointed out that customers had to stake a minimum of £50 before receiving the voucher, a spending level they considered reasonable in relation to typical machine play.
William Hill described the promotion as a one-time, low-value incentive, emphasizing that the terms and conditions were clearly stated both in-store and on the voucher itself. Additionally, they referenced redemption data indicating that most customers waited at least three hours before cashing in the voucher, suggesting that many had left the shop instead of staying to gamble.
The company also highlighted various safeguards, including staff training, prompts on machines regarding time and spending, and optional deposit limits, all aimed at protecting customers from potential harm.
ASA’s response
The CAP Code mandates that all promotions must remain socially responsible and discourage problem gambling.
As part of its assessment, the ASA acknowledged William Hill’s argument, stating, ‘We acknowledged William Hill’s response that the voucher was optional, that only a proportion of eligible participants redeemed it and that most participants redeemed the voucher at least three hours after they had qualified for it, all of which they believed demonstrated the redemption window of the promotion did not encourage irresponsible use.
‘However, we considered that, because the redemption window was limited to a later time on the day it was printed, it meant that most participants could only benefit if they returned to the premises or stayed until the later start time.’
This recognition led the ASA to conclude that the promotion “encouraged irresponsible use and breached the Code,” leading them to instruct William Hill to avoid similar issues in future promotions.
A focus on responsible gambling
This ruling comes during a period of increased scrutiny surrounding gambling marketing and the protections available to consumers.
Recent data from the Gambling Commission reveals that approximately 44% of adults in Great Britain, around 23 million people, engage in some form of gambling each month. While the majority participate without problems, about 0.3% are identified as problem gamblers, with an additional 1.2% considered to be at moderate risk.
Following the release of these statistics, the ASA has warned that promotions designed to create time pressure or encourage repeat visits will come under close examination.
Source: SBC Americas
Image Credit: By Acabashi – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=94526904
