A betting ad featuring an illustration of a man hanging by the neck has been banned by the advertising watchdog.
Betting site FanBet ran an ad on a football fan site, Arsenal Station, promising to show tips on how win more often.
The third frame of the ad ran with the text “save yourself” with a silhouette of a man hanging from a rope by his neck.
The Advertising Standards Authority received a complaint that using such an image to promote gambling was irresponsible and likely to cause offence, especially to those affected by suicide, mental health conditions or gambling problems.
FanBet said that it had not intended to cause harm or offence, and removed the ad after it was contacted by the ASA.
Nevertheless the ASA said that the advertising code states that marketing for gambling must be socially responsible, with particular regard to protecting vulnerable persons.
“We considered the silhouette … created an association between gambling and suicide that was irresponsible in a gambling ad,” said the ASA. “We were also concerned that the ad presented suicide in a lighthearted way and suggested that continued gambling could address previous poor results, and/or associated suicidal feelings, in particular because consumers affected by such issues might be vulnerable.”
The ASA banned the ad, saying it was likely to cause serious offence.
• In the UK, the Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Hotline is 1-800-273-8255. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is on 13 11 14.
