It is with complete astonishment that we bring you news that two of the best internet bingo adverts have been banned from our television screens. The Tombola Bingo adverts have been banned after a complaint was received from the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) that the Tombola Bingo adverts were likely to appeal to children or young people under the legal age of 18 to participate in gambling activities.
Now whilst the complaint was upheld by the ASA meaning that the Tombola Bingo adverts were banned why should just one complaint result in the removal of the adverts from the TV? Previously we have questioned the validity of these complaints and suggest that it could in fact be some sort of industrial espionage.
Just one complaint is surely not enough to result in the Tombola Bingo adverts being banned? If you take the time to read through what the complaint was it was based on the fact that the adverts from Tombola Bingo are based in a fairground and that the bingo ball characters look very much like sweets.
The ASA upheld the complaint as they believed that the use of a big top, ice skating rink, helter skelter, roller coaster and fireworks all had particular appeal to children under the age of 15 and young people. Could this in fact not be said about many of the adverts on our screens for internet bingo? Does each and every one not hold some appeal to children be it from the music used in the adverts or even a mascot that may be used by an internet bingo site?
What do you think about the fact that the Tombola Bingo adverts have been banned from our screens?