Jackpot Joy email campaign banned after `misleading` players

LONDON - The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has upheld a complaint about a "refer a friend" promotion email after a player at the site had played at Jackpot Joy after being recommended by a friend and felt the promotion was misleading. The email can no longer be sent out to friends of Jackpot Joy players in its current form.

According to the ASA website the email sent out by Profitable Play Limited on behalf of Jackpot Joy was headlined "Find out why we`re Britain`s best value night in!" Text below stated "Hi recipient`s name, recipient`s friend`s name wants you to join in the fun at Jackpot Joy and we do too! We`ve got loads of hot slots, bubbly bingo and casino classics for you to enjoy from just a penny! But don`t take our word for it, ask friend`s name. And if you click here to Join Now, you`ll get our 100% Cash Match Welcome Bonus. So deposit £10 and you`ll get £20 to play with. Plus we`ll give you and friend`s name an EXTRA £10 EACH once you`ve played with your first deposit! Join now and get two big bonuses!" A clickable button below the text was labelled "Register Now".

The complainant thought that the offer to give an extra £10 to each player after playing with their first deposit was misleading as it could be interpreted by people that to mean that when they played with their first deposit they would immediately receive an additional £10, at no additional cost, with which to bet on the games on the website.

Profitable Play argued that the email, sent out when an existing player at Jackpot Joy referred a friend to join, clearly stated that the £10 award was a bonus and that the bonus had wagering conditions. Also, they claimed that an error in the email meant that a link to the specific terms and conditions of the refer a friend promotion sent people to the generic t`s and c`s instead.

The ASA stated that the email breached advertising CAP code on three counts, under clauses 3.1 (Substantiation), 7.1, 7.2 (Truthfulness) and 34.1a (Significant conditions for promotions).