Broadway Gaming hit by £100,000 fine for "misleading advertising"

Handing down judgement

The UK Gambling Commission has announced that Broadway Gaming will pay a £100,000 penalty, due to repeated instances of misleading advertising.

Significant Terms & Conditions were not featured or linked to on promotional adverts on five of Broadway’s bingo and slot sites - Butlers Bingo, Bingo Diamond, Casino of Dreams, Dotty Bingo and Rehab Bingo.

Action against Broadway started in June 2016, when the Advertising Standards Agency upheld a complaint against Butlers Bingo that called advertising on the site misleading as: “it failed to make clear that a wagering requirement applied before consumers could withdraw their winnings.”

In particular, the ASA’s assessment focused on the lack of information on restrictions on wagering requirements. For example, on Butlers Bingo, wagers made on casino games like roulette and blackjack did not count towards any wagering requirements.

Broadway’s amendments were also considered insufficient, and this is possibly why the UKGC has decided further action is necessary.

In a statement on the UKGC’s site, the Commission advises operators to learn from Broadway’s failings, and also to take extra care when reviewing advertisements on affiliate sites.

Above all else, the UKGC makes it clear that all marketing materials and promotions must fully inform consumers about the offers being advertised before they can accept them; a clear warning to other operators to shape up or face similar punishments.