Mr Monopoly gambling ad is banned

AN ADVERT for a Monopoly-themed online casino game is to be banned over fears that it might appeal to children.

The Advertising Standards Authority found that the online promotion breached its code, which says that gambling adverts must not be designed to appeal to young people. The advert had used the board game’s familiar cartoon mascot, Rich Uncle Pennybags.

The ban comes amid concern about children’s exposure to gambling, especially through TV adverts and football shirt sponsorship. The ASA has yet to publish its ruling but it has been reported that the regulator has told Entertaining Play, the Gibraltar-based company behind the game, that it must not appear again.

The company argued that the cartoon character image – also known as Mr Monopoly – was not likely to be attractive to children. It said the character ‘did not possess exaggerated features and did not mimic any cartoon character in current children’s programming’.

But the ASA said there was no way to ensure under-18s would not be exposed to the advert and that it did not comply with the code. It added: ‘We considered the use of the Monopoly logo and the depiction of the Mr Monopoly character meant that the advert was likely to appeal more to under-18s than to over-18s.’