As Australian bookmakers come under fire for their advertising practices, one operator is trying to make some changes. This week, Sportsbet has launched a new ad campaign, which encourages punters to ‘take a break’. The new ‘Take a Break’ campaign consists of two television ads that urges players to pay attention to potential signs of harmful gambling habits.
In one ad, a man who is watching a sports match shakes his leg in a nervous manner. He takes out his phone and visits the SportsBet app and opts to ‘take a break’ from gambling. The second ad features a similar premise. The advertisements promote a new feature in Sportsbet’s mobile app that allows players to set a time period of self-exclusion.
Players can choose to block themselves from gambling for upwards of 24 hours. They can even choose to ban themselves permanently. Check out the ads below: The advertisements will be targeted at men between the ages of 18 and 54. They will be shown during various shows like The Project, The Block, Top Gear and The Big Bang Theory, as well as during Nine’s cricket coverage.
“Take A Break is an innovative new product and we want consumers to know about it and the other responsible gambling services we provide,” says Barni Evans, Marketing Director for Sportsbet. “We’ve seen an encouraging uptake of Take a Break prior to the campaign. There’s no doubt the ads will have the impact we’re aiming for and drive the message that wagering should be fun and conducted responsibly.”
This is a great change for Australia’s gambling market. Many advertisements encourage players to gamble more while Sportsbet takes a different approach by encouraging players to gamble responsibly. It is hoped that this will start a trend among that will see more gambling operators promoting safe gaming messages.
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