ASA raps OddsMonkey over matched betting blog

The UK’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has ordered OddsMonkey to withdraw a blog that promoted its matched betting services.

Seen on September 21, 2017, ‘Ben’s Matched Betting Diary’ showed a number of different dates from the preceding month, with the amount of profit the author made on each date.

Each entry contained a link that sent readers to a list setting out bets that had been placed that day and the amount of profit.

However, the ASA said it received a single complaint about the diary, challenging whether the diary featured a fictional character, as well as if the impression that similar profits were achievable in a real-life situation was misleading and could be substantiated.

The ASA upheld the complaint, saying consumers “would expect the level of success described in the diary to be typical of the success they were likely to be able to achieve when using OddsMonkey’s service”.

The regulatory body also said OddsMonkey needed to hold evidence that showed consumers were likely to be able to achieve similar success over a similar time period.

However, the ASA said OddsMonkey did not supply “adequate evidence” to show the level of success outlined in the blog was typical of a customer using the firm’s services.

As a result, the ASA ruled the advert must not appear in its current form again.

The ASA also noted that it has informed OddsMonkey “not to make claims about the level of profits members were likely to be able to achieve, and for how long that would be sustained, unless they held adequate substantiation”.

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