The investigation centred around a Google search ad for Foxy Games which was seen in July 2020. The ad, which stated “Earn money Online – Foxy Games – Play Online,” appeared when anyone searched for the term “make money online.

The complainant accused Foxy Games of insinuating gambling was a legitimate way to earn financial security. The ASA agreed with this judgement, concluding that the phrase “Earn money online” suggested customers could attain a regular source of income.

Foxy Games had already removed the ad, which it said had appeared as a result of human errort. However, the ASA banned the ad to appear in the future in the form complained of.

After completing a similar investigation into a Betfair advertisement the ASA concluded the ad was not in breach of its code.

The TV ad utilised the slogan “when there’s a chance, there’s always a chance,” and focussed on a man betting while rushing to board a plane.

The complainant argued that the ad portrayed gambling as taking priority in life by showing a man betting in a time-pressured situation. The ASA disagreed with this ruling, arguing that the man was not distracted by gambling and it was not shown as indispensable.