Gambling Ads Spark Controversy in Looney Tunes Mobile Game

The United Kingdom’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) halted four gaming promotions from LottoGo EuroMillions, William Hill Vegas, Betfair Bingo, and Dunder. These businesses slipped up by permitting their advertisements to be displayed to minors, a significant transgression.

The promotions appeared in February within the Looney Tunes World of Mayhem application, a game inspired by the iconic animated series. The catch: the app allows users to acquire in-game rewards by viewing advertisements. A questionable practice, particularly for a game favored by youngsters. The ASA intervened because this breached regulations regarding the promotion of gambling to individuals under 18 years of age.

LottoGo, Dunder, and Betfair blamed a third-party entity, Tapjoy, for the placement of the advertisements and asserted they have severed ties. William Hill maintained they had blacklisted the application and would not engage Tapjoy or any other party for advertising there.

Even the application itself faced scrutiny as it was intended solely for adults due to the gambling content. Apparently, it was an oversight (or so they claim) and has been rectified.