Karamba bosses investigated over misleading advertising
The UK’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has been called to investigate complaints against AG Communications Ltd, where a page on its website www.karamba.com, was featured alongside the Starburst slot game, offering advice on how to win at the game.
‘Misleading and socially irresponsible’
The basis of the investigation rested on the article, ‘tips and tricks on how to win at Starburst’, and whether this constituted misleading customers into believing that playing the game a certain way using the advice given, would actually increase their chances of winning. As well as this, the ASA also investigated whether such an article would encourage gambling and be classed as socially irresponsible.
After investigations, the ASA agreed and upheld the complaints on both counts. Firstly, they found no evidence to show the ‘tips and tricks’ described in the article would have any impact on a players chance of winning and are therefore misleading to customers.
Secondly, the ASA agreed the article was socially irresponsible, explaining that it could encourage irresponsible gambling which could lead to financial loss and emotional distress. This was a direct breach of the CAP code rules which requires operators NOT to encourage irresponsible gambling.
In conclusion to their investigation, the ASA advised the gambling operator to ensure the ad did not appear in its ‘current form’ anymore and any future ads did not contain misleading information or content that could encourage irresponsible gambling.
Human error
In response to the complaints, AG Communications claimed the article in question had not gone through the companies’ usual approval procedures and was uploaded due to human error. They explained the member of staff in question did not adhere to the two normal procedures prior to uploading and before the ASA were contacted, they had already removed the page in question and begun internal investigations into the matter.
