Apollo Entertainment, a Malta licensed online gambling group and owner of the Golden Tiger Casino, has come under fire from the UK’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) due to an email Welcome Bonus promotion which failed to make it clear that there was a betting requirement attached to the offer before customers could withdraw their winnings.
Golden Tiger Casino, which operates under a Kahnawake Gaming Commission license sent out an email reading “Congratulations [recipient’s account ID name] – You’re a weekly winner. £1500 FREE! Welcome Bonus. We are offering you: £1500 Free to play for one hour! Use our money to play our games. If you win, you get to keep it. Deposit is required to claim your winnings.”
The email continued with “Limited time offer! Mobile users get 30 free spins. No deposit required. Plus GBP 1500 in welcome bonuses. Click here to claim now”. The ad included a footnote which stated “Terms and conditions may apply”.
A complaint was received by the ASA from a member of the public who had responded to the offer that the claim stating “if you win, you get to keep it” was misleading as it did not make it clear that a wagering requirement applied prior to customers being eligible to make a withdrawal of their winnings.
Apollo claimed that they thought the email was factual as customers were able to withdraw their winnings on condition that the wagering requirements found on the landing page on the online casino’s website indicating that a 60 times play through was attached to the bonus offer.
The ASA ruled that the email in its current form must not be used in future and that the adverts must include all applicable important conditions for promotions where Apollo’s omission could mislead members of the public.
