ASA bans William Hill Casino advert

The advertising watchdog has banned an email campaign by William Hill for marketing a "bonus offer" that would require customers to spend well over £1,000 making at least 50 bets in one month to be eligible to withdraw any winnings. William Hill Casino used an email campaign to entice players to experience its casino club and "take advantage of our amazing bonus offer for every new player". The offer was for £66 free with no deposit required and "up to £150 first deposit bonus". The Advertising Standards Authority received a complaint that the ad was misleading because the marketing email did not make it clear that numerous bets of "significant value" were required to redeem the £66 free bonus, as well as players having to deposit £35 of their own money. William Hill admitted an error had been made which meant that the email did not include a statement that "terms and conditions apply". "We noted from the terms and conditions to the offer that customers were required to make a minimum of 50 bets within the 30-day promotional period, in stakes totalling a minimum of £1,320 of their own money before they would be eligible to withdraw any winnings gained from successful betting with the bonus," said the ASA. "We considered that the minimum number of bets, minimum spend and withdrawal limits and requirements were significant conditions likely to influence customers' understanding of the offer and should have been stated prominently in the ad. Because they were not we concluded that the ad was misleading." The ASA banned the ad. • To contact the MediaGuardian news desk email [email protected] or phone 020 3353 3857. For all other inquiries please call the main Guardian switchboard on 020 3353 2000. • If you are writing a comment for publication, please mark clearly "for publication".