Buzz Bingo advert reprimanded over appeal to children

UK bingo operator Buzz Bingo has been told to rework one of its advertisements after it was found to appeal to children.

The complaint upheld by the Advertising Standards Authority related to a Facebook post on Buzz Bingo’s page on October 20, which advertised a £50,000 prize to be won every Monday in the month in its Monster Mondays promotion.

Buzz Bingo said it believed it had taken all steps to ensure the ad did not appeal to children, but the ASA said the Halloween-themed nature of the advert “and the traditions surrounding” the event were likely to have strong appeal to children.

The advert comprised animated footage of a large full moon above a scene comprising grinning pumpkin heads, a spider in a web and text in a font which resembled slime, the ASA said in its assessment of its ruling.

Buzz Bingo said the page on which the ad was posted was restricted to over-18s and used as part of a campaign targeting users aged 25 and over who had a confirmed interest in bingo – and that the operator believed Facebook was a suitable platform for evidencing the accuracy of their targeting.

However, Buzz Bingo removed the ad on receipt of the notification and said it was making changes to its internal marketing approval procedures.