Ladbrokes ads banned over use of ‘Ladbucks' likely to appeal to under-18s
The TV ad, seen in December, featured a voiceover that stated: '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 … Plus you can even use them to play your favourite games for free in our Ladbucks arcade. Like Fishin Frenzy and Goldstrike.'
A Video on Demand ad, seen on Channel 4 around the same time, was the same as the TV ad.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) received two complaints that the term 'Ladbucks' was likely to be of strong appeal to under-18s.
Ladbrokes said the term 'Ladbucks' was chosen as a play on the word Ladbrokes, and because it referenced, through the use of the term bucks, that it had value on the Ladbrokes website.
They said the word had no origins in youth culture and believed that it was not of inherent strong appeal to under-18s, and highlighted that both ads had targeting restrictions to reduce the likelihood of children viewing them.
The firm said it believed that the term was not associated with any coins from video games which were popular with under-18s, adding that 'V-Bucks' from Fortnite and 'Robux' from Roblox were in-game currencies that had to be purchased before being used to buy in-game items.
Further, it did not believe the term 'lad' referred to a boy or young man and said its brand had never been used in that context.
The ASA said several online games popular with under-18s, such as Roblox and Fortnite, had their own in-game currencies, which were called Robux and V-Bucks respectively.
These currencies, which could be both bought and earnt through gameplay, were depicted as coins, and spent within in-game stores, usually on cosmetic items that enhanced gameplay.
According to Ofcom's 2024 report into media use and attitudes, 60% of children aged between three and 17 years gamed online, while 89% of 11 to 18-year-olds gamed online weekly, with categories of games that were most popular including building games, such as Roblox, followed by games played against others, such as Fortnite.
The ASA said it considered the term 'Ladbucks', through the suffix 'bucks', had strong similarities to the in-game currencies Robux and V-Bucks.
It said 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,' it said.
The watchdog ruled that the ads must not appear again in their current form, adding: 'We told Ladbrokes not to include content in ads that was reflective of youth culture or which had strong appeal to those under 18 years of age.'
A spokesman for Entain, which owns Ladbrokes, said: 'We are disappointed by the ASA's ruling on our 'Ladbucks' advertising campaign, and we are seeking an independent review of what we consider to be a flawed decision.
'For example, it is based on an inaccurate comparison with games such as Fortnite or Roblox and their in-game currencies. Entain works extremely carefully to ensure that its advertising does not target or appeal to under-18s.
'We maintain that this was a responsibly created and targeted campaign, pre-approved by Clearcast and only shown after the watershed.'
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