The Advertising Standards Authority has ordered William Hill to remove an advertisement for misleading language around the use of payments for welcome bonuses.
The advert was seen on search engine Bing and featured a promotion advertising a ‘Bet £10 get £60’ welcome bonus from the online casino and sports betting operator.
Raising the issue with the ASA, a complainant noted that, when clicking on the link included in the advertisement, some small print stated that Apple Pay could not be used as a payment method.
This was considered as a significant term of the promotion, and omitting this information from the advertisement has been considered as misleading customers.
The ASA’s assessment sided with the complainant, referring to the Committee on Advertising Practice Code that governs UK advertising and marketing standards and practice.
Under the CAP Code, all marketing communications and promotions must state applicable significant conditions where omission is likely to mislead. Significant information can include participation and technology restrictions, including payments options.
William Hill responded to the complaint by asserting that the criteria on a second advert, showcased on its website, was “clear, prominent and included the qualification ‘Payment methods & country restrictions apply. Full T&Cs apply’.”
The Evoke-owned operator added that it understood that Google Pay and Apple Pay have limitations in matching ownership of the payment method with registered gambling accounts.
As a result, there is a higher risk of people using these payment methods to take up an offer intended for new customers only on multiple occasions. The firm stated that it understands “such restrictions were common across the industry”.
Despite the response, the ASA concluded that the initial advert, found on the search engine, not including the information around Apple Pay’s exclusion meant that new customers using this payment method would not receive the £60 welcome bonus.
This is significant information likely to affect how a customer interacts with the promotion and product, the ASA states.
The ASA ordered that the ad must not appear again in the same format and William Hill has been told to ensure future marketing includes all significant conditions in communications.