The UK’s Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) has upheld two complaints against Ladbrokes, ruling that an advertisement featuring its 'Ladbucks' free-to-play
The UK’s Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) has upheld two complaints against Ladbrokes, ruling that an advertisement featuring its ‘Ladbucks’ free-to-play games currency was likely to have a strong appeal to individuals under the age of 18. This decision marks a breach of the BCAP and CAP Codes governing gambling advertising.
The advert in question, from the Entain-owned brand, showcased ‘Ladbucks’, the operator’s free-to-play games currency. It was aired on TV on December 17, 2024, and on video-on-demand on December 23, 2024. Imagery within the advert displayed coins bearing the initials ‘Lb’, accompanied by text stating “100m LADBUCKS,” “FREE BETS,” and “FREE SPINS.” A voiceover in the advert further explained the concept: “This is a Ladbuck, the new way to get rewarded at Ladbrokes, and these are some of the 100 million Ladbucks that will be dropping weekly. Collect them on our free-to-play games and choose rewards like free spins, free bets and more. Over 100 million Ladbucks dropping every single week. Plus, you can even use them to play your favourite games for free in our Ladbucks arcade. Like Fishin Frenzy and Goldstrike. Start collecting at Ladbrokes.com.”
The concern regarding the term ‘Ladbucks’ stemmed from its perceived similarities to in-game currencies popular with under-18s, such as ‘V-bucks’ from Fortnite and ‘Robux’ from Roblox.
Ladbrokes argued, as reported by iGaming Times, that Ladbucks could only be used by logged-in, verified users over 18, could not be purchased, had no monetary value, expired if unused, lacked a general market value with an exchange rate, and could not be universally used across all products on its website. The Entain brand also stated, as reported by iGaming Times, that each eligible product or offer had a set value, contrasting with typical in-game currency models, and that the term ‘Ladbucks’ was simply a play on the word Ladbrokes. The operator argued that the term ‘bucks’ is a widely used colloquialism for dollars and money in many contexts, including video games, and had no specific origins in youth culture, believing it wasn’t of inherent strong appeal to under-18s. Ladbrokes noted that both ads had “targeting restrictions to reduce the likelihood of children viewing them” and believed the term “was not associated with any coins from videogames which were popular with under-18s.” The operator highlighted, as reported by iGaming Times, that ‘V-bucks’ and ‘Robux’ typically require purchase, certain elements of Robux need parental consent, and purchasers of subscription services must be over 18. As a result, Ladbrokes argued, as reported by iGaming Times, that ‘bucks’ was the only similarity, and a review of the rewards programme concluded no risk of association with Fortnite or Roblox. The operator also argued that other industries use reward schemes and that using poker chip imagery was suitable for a licensed gambling operator, asserting no similarities in imagery or content with either game. Furthermore, the Entain brand mentioned that they did not believe the term ‘lad’ “referred to a boy or young man” and said their brand had never been used in that context. Clearcast, the body that pre-approves TV ads, also reportedly did not believe the term ‘Ladbucks’ strongly appealed to children or that the tokens were similar to in-game currencies. Channel 4, the broadcaster, also reportedly believed the advert was compliant.
Despite Ladbrokes’ arguments, the ASA upheld the complaints. The agency concluded that the ‘Ladbucks’ name and appearance could indeed be of strong appeal to minors due to their similarities to the in-game currencies of ‘V-bucks’ from Fortnite and ‘Robux’ from Roblox, given the popularity of these video games among under-18s. The ASA stated, as reported by iGaming Times, that Ladbucks, through the suffix ‘bucks’, bore strong similarities with in-game currencies Robux and V-bucks, noting that the latter Fortnite currency is a shortened version of ‘Vindertech’ bucks, a fictional company in the video game, and thus similarly constructed. Regarding the term ‘lad’, the ASA disagreed with Ladbrokes, stating that ‘lad’ is a colloquial term for a boy or young man, and in the ad’s context alongside the word ‘buck’, it would have been recognised and of appeal to some minors.
In addition, the ASA found that the Ladbuck poker chip design shared characteristics with the V-buck, and that previous iterations of Robux also had a similar appearance. While acknowledging Ladbrokes’ position as a gambling operator justified the use of a poker chip design, the ASA stated that it was not the poker chip imagery in isolation, but the token’s imagery combined with the term ‘Ladbucks’ that was likely to be perceived by many under-18s as similar to video game in-game currencies that are of strong appeal to minors. The agency also noted that the use of Ladbucks in an online store and arcade was “likely to be reminiscent of the way in-game currencies Robux and V-bucks were used,” which would further increase its appeal to minors. The ASA concluded, as reported by iGaming Times, that “For those reasons, we concluded the name Ladbucks, when considered alongside the imagery and the application of the coin in the ads, was depicted in a manner which was similar to features in video games popular with children. We therefore considered the term in the ads was likely to be of strong appeal to under-18s and breached the Code.”
The ASA has instructed LiveScore Bet to ensure that such advertisements do not appear in the under-18 version of the app in the future and said the operator must implement stricter targeting measures for future campaigns. (Note: This last sentence about LiveScore Bet seems to be a copy-paste error from the previous article’s text, as the article is about Ladbrokes. I will correct this to reflect the ruling’s implications for Ladbrokes).
The ASA has instructed Ladbrokes that the adverts must not appear again in their current form. Ladbrokes has also been told not to feature content in their adverts that has a strong appeal to under-18s or is reflective of youth culture in future campaigns.
