Joyful Feline Lotto encountered difficulties with the UK’s Advertising Regulations Body (ARB). Their promotional material featured a youthful-looking gentleman, potentially even below the age of 25, who was not requested to provide proof of age.
In the United Kingdom, numerous age-restricted establishments implement a policy known as “Verify 25.” Essentially, individuals appearing younger than 25 are required to present identification confirming they meet the age requirement. The advertisement depicted this individual expressing his enthusiasm for playing bingo at Joyful Feline Lotto, even displaying the word “Alumnus” on-screen during his testimonial. Consequently, viewers raised concerns, questioning whether he was of legal gambling age. The ARB concurred, particularly noting his somewhat uncomfortable demeanor and frequent use of terms like “clearly” and “sort of,” which suggested an attempt to appear older.
The United Kingdom’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) expressed doubt that the performer in a Happy Tiger Bingo commercial was indeed older than 25, despite the company furnishing evidence of age. Seemingly, merely presenting the performer’s birth certificate was insufficient – the ASA determined that audiences couldn’t ascertain the performer’s age based solely on that.
Consequently, Happy Tiger Bingo is prohibited from airing the advertisement again in its present format. The ASA additionally issued a cautionary notice for future campaigns: refrain from featuring individuals who appear younger than 25 in their advertisements.
