One complaint to the Advertising Standards Authority has led to a Paddy Power ad in The Times newspaper being withdrawn. The complaint challenged whether the ad irresponsibly linked gambling to seduction, sexual success and enhanced attractiveness. The ASA challenged whether the ad breached the Code by implying gambling could improve self-image or self-esteem or was a way to gain control, superiority, recognition or admiration.

In its defence London Capital Group Ltd (Paddy Power) said they had not intended to breach the CAP Code and did not believe the ad did so. Featuring a short man in the back of a stretch limousine, holding a glass of champagne and a cigar and flanked by two glamorous-looking women, the text stated: "WHO SAYS YOU CAN'T MAKE MONEY BEING SHORT? Financial Spread Betting lets you bet on falling (going short) as well as rising share prices (going long), allowing you to make the most out of volatile markets".

Paddy Power maintains that the ad targeted a very specific group of people in the spread betting community and that it was a play on words that would be understood by those people as a whimsical and far-fetched interpretation of the term ‘going’ or ‘being’ short. Nevertheless following an approach by the ASA Paddy Power withdrew the ad from all UK media outlets. The ASA considered that the ad was likely to be seen to play on a traditional stereotype of male attractiveness that was sometimes prejudiced against shorter men and to suggest that desirable female companionship was attainable for short men too through the enhanced attractiveness provided by wealth (acquired by gambling).

New rules for advertisements for gambling products and services on TV came into force on 1 September 2007. Monitoring staff at the ASA challenged whether four ads for InterCasino, a Malta licensed online gaming company, were of particular appeal to children and young persons because of similarities to TV programmes linked to youth culture. In its list of adjudications dated 23 April 2008 the ASA considered that the slapstick humour in the four ads was likely to appeal to children and young persons, breaching the CAP (Broadcast) TV Advertising Standards Code.

The Advertising Standards Authority is the independent body set up by the advertising industry to police the rules laid down in the advertising codes. According to the ASA the strength of the self-regulatory system lies in both its independence and the support and commitment of the advertising industry, through the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP), to the standards of the codes, protecting consumers and creating a level playing field for advertisers. (E-04.23.08)

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