Erotic Swank Poker Ads Banned by UK Watchdog

Although the advertising of online gambling websites in the UK is legal, the practice is highly regulated by the country's 'watchdog', the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), which recently banned some Swank Poker magazine advertisements on the grounds that they are too 'sexy and erotic'.

One of the Swank Poker ads shows a woman cupping her breasts above a slogan that reads 'Will you hold this pair for me?', an obvious play on words. The ad's body copy also claimed that the site offers 'the very best in poker action coupled with the finest erotic entertainment that the civilized world has to offer.'

The ASA reviewed and banned the ads - which ran in a recent issue of popular UK poker and gambling magazine Flush - because of the high number of complaints it received, including from the Remote Gambling Association (RGA), which contended that the adverts blatantly linked gambling to 'sexual success'.

The RGA reportedly argued that the Swank Poker ads were extremely socially irresponsible, and that they could exploit children and 'other vulnerable persons' into believing that there is an actual link between sexual seduction and gambling online. Not happy with the ban, Swank Poker was quick to respond.

In a statement, the online poker room vehemently decried the ban, saying that instead of offering the usual T-shirts and caps like other poker rooms, it offered player rewards that were of a legal, but adult nature.' Swank Poker stated that its services were for adults only, and that it clearly advertised them as such.

One of the Swank Poker advertorials said - describing one of the female online poker players featured - 'bring enough action to the Swank tables and the next thing you know, she could be taking care of your wildest fantasies.' Readers were also told they could win the chance to star in a movie with them.

While the ASA ruled that the Swank Poker ads were in breach of the advertising code for their gambling/sexual success innuendo, and thus banned them from future publication, it overruled the second complaint that the ads targeted children and vulnerable people, as Flush's target market is 25 to 40-year-olds.