ASA Pokerstars Conflict

There were media reports by Guardian, on 25, September 2008, reporting the conflict between U.K. ASA (Advertising Standards Authority) and the online poker website Pokerstars for the poster campaigns advertisement of “Play Mind Games”.

ASA disapproves Gambling ad
The Advertising Authority stresses that gambling advertisements should not associate gambling with improved self-image or make similar appeals to the young people. The authority renders the advertisement against the guidelines which featured Daniel Negreanu, top poker player, holding an ice and the ad featured the line, “Poker is a sport of courage, conviction and confidence.”

Pokerstars Confident
In their reply to the authority, Pokerstars disagrees that the advertisement mentioning courage, confidence and conviction required in poker was Negreanu’s personal belief. The message was clearly explained by the player’s picture shown with the hockey stick and with the “sport” word used along the advertisement. Pokerstars argued that the advertisement nowhere claims that an individual would improve or acquire any such skills by playing the game or gambling and that the advertisement asserted on the difference in results between poker and other gambling forms where the gain is comparatively low.

Pokerstars also clarified that public understood poker as a game of skill and judgement and the poster advertised poker as a sport where self belief is the prime prerequisite.

ASA Verdict
The ASA did not consider it to be fit, to demonstrate mental resilience or toughness and said that the advertisement had similar attributes that could attract men in the age of 21 to 44. The advertisement was not deemed fit by ASA as it portrayed that these qualities should be possessed and would improve those qualities in a player, which breached the CAP Code clauses57.4(f) and 57.4(i)(Gambling). ASA asked the online giant not to use such material again in any advertisements in future.