Poker is "Sport" Says UK Advertising WatchdogThe Advertising Standards Authority Says Poker Can Be Described As a Sport |
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The Advertising Standards Authority in the UK today issued an adjudication against a recent PokerStars poster advertisement. The ad, which featured Daniel Negreanu with text next to the picture stating, “Poker is a sport of courage, conviction and confidence. Play for free at the world's largest poker site".
A complaint about the by-line suggested that "courage, conviction and confidence" were irresponsible and exploited the susceptibilities of children, that the description of poker as a sport was misleading, and that references to "courage, conviction and confidence" linked poker to toughness and resilience, and implied that gambling could enhance those qualities.
The ASA did not uphold the first two complaints stating, “We considered that, in the context of the ad as a whole, the phrase "courage, conviction and confidence", although of general appeal, was unlikely to appeal particularly to children.
“We considered…that poker was a well-known card game, and that the description of poker as a sport was unlikely to materially mislead members of the public about the nature of game. We also considered that the definition of 'sport' as a game, pastime or recreational activity was a definition that could be applied to poker.
However, it did uphold the third complaint and deemed that the ad should not be used in its current for again saying, “We considered that "courage, conviction and confidence" were attributes that demonstrated mental toughness or resilience, and would be seen as admirable qualities by the target audience of 21- to 44-year-old men. We also considered that the claim implied not only that those qualities were needed in order to play poker, but also that success at poker would therefore enhance those qualities.”
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