ASA Says William Hill Voucher Encouraged Irresponsible Play

The UK’s Advertising Standards Authority announced that it has upheld a complaint against gaming operator William Hill due to a promotion that encouraged irresponsible gambling.

William Hill Promotion Became the Subject of Controversy

The original complaint challenged a William Hill promotion from April 3 that saw the operator hand out GBP 5 vouchers to players. According to the ASA, the voucher in question could only be redeemed from 5:20 pm to 11:59 pm on April 3, which was a very short window, considering that the voucher was issued on the same day.

The complaint argued that this created a sense of urgency that could have encouraged irresponsible gaming.

William Hill Said the Promotion Did Not Encourage Irresponsible Play

In response, William Hill said that it doesn’t believe that the promotion had breached the CAP Code or encouraged irresponsible gaming. The gaming brand clarified that the voucher was issued to players who wagered at least GBP 50 on an eligible machine before 5:20 pm. The operator elaborated that this included wagered winnings from earlier bets.

William Hill also argued that, despite the promotion, its average cash-in in relation to the promotion was still below the average spend for April and May.

William Hill emphasized that it believes that the amount needed to spend in order to receive a voucher, as well as the promotional amount, was not substantial and that the promotion, therefore, did not encourage irresponsible play.

The company also emphasized that redemption of the voucher was entirely optional and provided data showing that the majority of qualifying customers did not redeem their own vouchers.

William Hill added that its staff was well-trained to identify signs of gambling-related harm, including repeated visits and that if any concerns had been raised due to customer behavior, employees would have taken action.

ASA Upheld the Complaint

Despite acknowledging some of William Hill’s arguments, the ASA upheld the complaint. The authority noted that the nature of the promotion meant that most customers who wished to benefit from the promotion would have either had to stay longer or return to the gaming hall premises later.

Considering that eligible players would have already placed several bets to reach the GBP 50 threshold, the ASA concluded that the voucher “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.”

As a result, the regulatory body concluded that the promotion breached the CAP code and that such a promotion must not appear again in the form complained of. The ASA concluded that William Hill has been warned not to encourage irresponsible play.