TV ad banned for glamorising bingo – Daily TV round-up

A TV ad for Fabulous Magazine has been banned for after it was deemed that it connected gambling with sexual attraction.

The ad was for Fabulous Bingo, the online gambling service run by the News International-owned magazine, and showed a women signing up on a laptop.

[Related story: Taxman to challenge loophole that shelters millions for Jimmy Carr]

She is then instantly transformed from drab office wear into glamorous clothes, with a new hair-do and make-up.

Ads watchdog the Advertising Standards Authority has now ruled that it broke guidelines after the Gambling Reform & Society Perception Group complained that it linked gambling to 'seduction, sexual success and enhanced attractiveness'.

“Because the ad featured such an overt transformation from dowdy to glamorous through playing the branded bingo game there was an implication that playing the branded bingo game could result in enhanced attractiveness and an improvement in self-image,” said the ASA.

“We therefore considered that from that ad directly linked the online bingo game with enhanced attractiveness and concluded that the ad breached the [advertising] code.” [The Guardian]

Also in today's press

Government minister Danny Alexander has said that those who seek loopholes to pay less tax are no better than benefit cheats, after it emerged that comedian Jimmy Carr pays as little as one per cent tax on his earnings thanks to an off-shore accountancy scheme. Fellow comedians have sympathised with Carr, with John Bishop saying: “To be honest Jimmy Carr’s finances are like his jokes - every comedian in the country read it and said, 'I wish I thought of that'.” [Daily Mail]

Ricky Tomlinson has said he's 'gutted' after thieves stole his £12,000 static caravan. “I can’t believe it happened. It must have been a well-organised gang of thieves because it is a big, six-berth caravan which was not even on wheels,” he said. [Daily Mail]

Katya Virshilas has been sacked from 'Strictly Come Dancing', according to reports. The Lithuanian-born dancer had previously been paired with Dan Lobb, Gavin Henson and Phil Tufnell. [The Sun]