Key Points
- William Hill violates gambling regulations over promoting betting voucher
- Betting operator accused of breaching Committee of Advertising (CAP) code
- William Hill claims the shop betting voucher was ‘optional’
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has reprimanded William Hill over a promotional betting voucher advertised in one of its retail shops, which was deemed to encourage irresponsible gambling.
A complaint was
filed by a William Hill customer
who received an automatic voucher dispensed from a slot machine in April. The voucher was accompanied by the following text: “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.” The customer contested the time sensitive nature of the voucher, insisting the receiving and redeeming of it was ‘socially undesirable’.
The customer raised the matter, as they believed it breached the Committee of Advertising (CAP) code. Now, the ASA have taken a dim view of the matter.
ASA delivers its verdict
ASA ruled that William Hill’s betting voucher fell foul of consumer regulations, violating CAP code rule 8.5, referring to the protection of customers and safety. It claimed that the promotion ‘incentivised repeated play’ within a specific period, and this could lead to gambling-related troubles.
A statement read: “We considered that those who were eligible for the voucher may have already passed several bets earlier that day, as the voucher was issued once an individual’s stake reached £50, which could include repeated play of winnings.
“We therefore considered that the timeframe between when the voucher was issued and when it was redeemable created an incentive for repeated play within a short period, including visiting the betting shop twice in a single day, increasing the risk of consumers gambling more than they otherwise would.
“We considered that linking the reward to a same-day timeframe, particularly at a limited period later on in the day, incentivised behaviours that could encourage irresponsible use.”
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What was William Hill’s defence?
Unsurprisingly, William Hill was up in arms over the decision. While William Hill acknowledged the redemption window began at a specific time later on the same day the voucher was printed, they claimed the voucher didn’t put pressure on customers to remain on the premises to collect it.
William Hill was adamant that very few customers would have tried to redeem the voucher within two hours; instead, most customers waited at least three hours. As there were extended gaps between when the voucher was issued and redeemed, William Hill said most customers would have left the shop before returning later to get their hands on the voucher.
The betting operator also stipulated that gaming machines provided regular prompts to remind customers of their gambling sessions. They said staff were well-trained and there were deposit limits available to stop players exceeding their gambling budget.
ASA remains on guard
The ruling arrives at a time when responsible gambling has come under the microscope. According to figures published by the Gambling Commission, 44% of adults in the UK participate in some form of gambling each month. While most gamble without any issues, around 0.3% of adults are classed as problem gamblers.
As far as William Hill is concerned, they have been put on a watchlist. While they didn’t hand out a fine, the ASA has ordered William Hill to withdraw the promotion in its current form.
The ASA has made it clear that William Hill should do everything to ensure that any future campaigns do not encourage irresponsible gambling. Indeed, the ASA has made it clear that promotions that create time pressures will come under scrutiny.
