Watchdog bans Sky Bet ad starring Jeff Stelling over sports knowledge claim
A Sky Bet advert starring football presenter Jeff Stelling has been banned by the industry watchdog over fears it could lead to irresponsible gambling.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) said the advert implied those with a good knowledge of sports would have more gambling success and gave an exaggerated perception of how much control punters have over the outcome of their wagers.
Read more: Mars, Mondelez and Kellogg’s hit with advert bans
The TV campaign, which promoted a tailored betting service allowing customers to request specific odds, featured Stelling telling viewers to “spark your sports brain” and asking “how big is your sports noggin?”
Sky Bet denied the ad suggested sports knowledge increases a customer’s chance of winning and insisted it was in line with similar sports betting campaigns. But the ASA upheld the complaint, saying the ad placed undue emphasis on the role of sports knowledge.
“We considered that this gave consumers an unrealistic and exaggerated perception of the level of control they would have over the outcome of a bet and that could lead to irresponsible gambling behaviour,” it said.
Read more: Sky Incredibles advert banned over superfast Wi-Fi claims
The rule comes amid growing pressure on gambling companies as the ASA cracks down on gambling adverts that could encourage irresponsible behaviour or appeal to children.
Last year some of the UK’s largest betting firms agreed to a so-called whistle-to-whistle ban, preventing them from airing adverts during live sporting events.