Cassava Enterprises receives a blow
This week, the UK Advertising Standards Authority turned against Cassava Enterprises, whose Sing Bingo website was criticized because of an internet promo titled "DEBT FREE 2011!".
The promo read: "How do you fancy having your bills paid in 2011? Sing is prepared to do just that for one lucky player in our new 2011 Debt Free Heaven promo ... No more stress, no more worries and no more running away from the morning postman!" And according to the promo T&Cs, "Bills paid for a year is equivalent to GBP200 a month given over the year. Total of GBP2 400 ... Cards cost 1p - Minimum is 1 card, maximum is 96 cards".
The problem with the promo, according to the ASA, was that it irresponsibly encouraged readers to gamble in order to become 'debt free', and that it was misleading, because the prize was unlikely to cover the debts of an average person.
However, Cassava Enterprises (Gibraltar) Ltd explained that it does not intend to mislead, and that, according to the T&Cs, "bills paid for a year is equivalent to GBP200 a month over the year. Total of GBP2,400".
Since it received a warning from the ASA about this one, and future ads, the company admitted that promotion of gambling as a way out of financial concerns may be a violation of the Code, but it also assured ASA that the necessary changes, including removal of all references to debt, have been introduced to the promotion.
This week, the UK Advertising Standards Authority turned against Cassava Enterprises, whose Sing Bingo website was criticized because of an internet promo titled "DEBT FREE 2011!".
The promo read: "How do you fancy having your bills paid in 2011? Sing is prepared to do just that for one lucky player in our new 2011 Debt Free Heaven promo ... No more stress, no more worries and no more running away from the morning postman!" And according to the promo T&Cs, "Bills paid for a year is equivalent to GBP200 a month given over the year. Total of GBP2 400 ... Cards cost 1p - Minimum is 1 card, maximum is 96 cards".
The problem with the promo, according to the ASA, was that it irresponsibly encouraged readers to gamble in order to become 'debt free', and that it was misleading, because the prize was unlikely to cover the debts of an average person.
However, Cassava Enterprises (Gibraltar) Ltd explained that it does not intend to mislead, and that, according to the T&Cs, "bills paid for a year is equivalent to GBP200 a month over the year. Total of GBP2,400".
Since it received a warning from the ASA about this one, and future ads, the company admitted that promotion of gambling as a way out of financial concerns may be a violation of the Code, but it also assured ASA that the necessary changes, including removal of all references to debt, have been introduced to the promotion.
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