Coral Ad Banned for Linking Gambling to Seduction

A TV commercial for bookmakers Coral was banned by the Advertising Standards Authority.

Coral is one of the biggest British betting companies, operating an online sportsbook in the UK, as well as a mobile betting service. The controversial ad was created by DLKW Lowe and showed men in a barber’s shop, discussing betting on a race.

A woman dressed in a sexy jockey’s outfit walks in, displaying betting odds for a horse race on a sign, then encourages one of the men to engage in some mobile betting by tapping his phone with her whip.

The ASA claimed the spot was linking gambling to seduction and decided to ban it. According to the advertising watchdog, the commercial drew attention to the woman, rather than Coral’s actual betting offers.

Seduced into betting?

However, the British bookmaker has a different interpretation of the controversial ad. Coral said the woman was “dressed in a manner fitting for a jockey” and that the men in the barber’s shop were made to look foolish in a “gently humorous way”.

Broadcast clearing body Clearcast also said the spot did not have any hidden inappropriate meanings, adding that it was acceptable because of its “light-hearted and unrealistic” nature. Besides, the sexy jockey did not convince men into making a choice they would not have made.

Watch the ad here and decide for yourself: