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UK watchdog bans Casumo ad over repeated deposit and wagering requirements
The ASA said completing the maximum five daily missions required £250 in deposits and £1,000 in wagers, compared with a maximum £10 in free spins per wheel spin.
The UK Advertising Standards Authority banned a Casumo display ad after finding that its Spinumo promotion encouraged repeated deposits and wagers that could lead to gambling-related harm. The regulator published its ruling on November 11.
The campaign, run by Casumo operator Recro Ltd, targeted UK customers from July 6-August 2, The Gamblest reported. Its banner offered “UP TO 100 SPINS ON SPINUMO” and carried the tagline “QUEST. SPIN. WIN.”
Players could earn a spin of the Spinumo wheel by completing a daily mission. Each mission required a deposit of at least £50 and wagers of at least £200 on qualifying games, with a maximum of five missions a day.
Each wheel spin awarded a random number of free spins, up to 100. The free spins were valued at £0.10 each, making the maximum value £10 per wheel spin, and rewards expired after 48 hours.
The ASA calculated that completing all five daily missions required at least £250 in deposits and £1,000 in wagers. Over 28 days, completing the maximum number of missions would require £7,000 in deposits and £28,000 in wagers; those amounts were not necessarily losses.
The regulator weighed the qualifying activity against the maximum £10 reward per wheel spin. It also found that the ad's references to a daily mission and the “QUEST. SPIN. WIN.” tagline presented gambling as a repeatable challenge.
Recro said participation was voluntary and customers could stop after one task. It argued that the slogan described the promotion rather than presenting gambling as a way to make money, and said the terms were clearly stated.
The ASA acknowledged that customers had a choice and that gambling does not always result in losses. It nevertheless concluded that the campaign could encourage continuous gambling, particularly among vulnerable consumers.
The regulator found breaches of CAP rules 16.3 and 16.3.1 and told Recro not to run the ad again in its current form. It identified the ad through its Active Ad Monitoring system, which uses artificial intelligence to detect potentially non-compliant online advertising.
In a statement to SBC News, Casumo said: “Casumo prides itself on its record of customer protection and regulatory compliance.”