The online poker room website, PKR, has released an ad for television that has been banned in the United Kingdom. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has banned the ad because they believe it glamorizes the risks involved in gambling.

The advertisement features computer generated players competing in a virtual poker room. The commercial begins with the focus on a well dressed man and a voice saying “I’ve come in over the top of pot sized raises with middle, bluffed under the gun with four runners behind me, folded pocket Kings on a hunch, I’ve survived bad beats, sick draws and cold decks”.

The sharp dressed man then laughs as he pushes a rather large stack of chips into the middle of the table while the voice over says “and I’ve played through fields of thousands to make the final table. Here I come”.

The ASA stated that the advertisement used poker terminology and they understood that the phrases used referred to winning as well as losing but they found the commercial to give off the impression that it is ok to take risks on a hunch and they also believe the ad stated that poker could be played in a reckless way. The ASA found that the character laughing could be seen as glamorizing the risks involved with gambling, which in their mind makes it irresponsible.

PKR stated in their defense that the voice over in the ad spoke in an even and balanced tone and did not refer to cash stakes or winnings. They believe that this fact gave a realistic impression of the opportunities involved in gambling and did not give the impression that it is a financial benefit to play on the site. PKR also added that players can play for fun on their site and not just for money.


- 2008-09-19