Matched betting service Profit Accumulator has fallen fowl of the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), with four issues being investigated and all being upheld.
With a total of three complainants, the first issue related to a pair of reviews left on the www.matchedbettingcentre.com and www.matchedbettingbasics.com websites, claiming the Profit Accumulator service was superior to that of rival site OddsMonkey.
Brought forward by OddsMonkey, a belief that both sites are owned by Profit Accumulator was stated, with a question hanging over the impartiality and independent nature of the reviews, and as such whether they are misleading.
Also in question were statements made on its own website, www.profitaccumulator.co.uk, with a complainant first challenging whether the claim “Earn thousands with matched betting guaranteed” was misleading.
The ASA itself also challenged the statement “The process can be repeated on new offers every day, generating a sustainable income,” questioning its irresponsible nature with a suggestion that gambling could be an alternative to employment or a way of achieving financial security.
Finally, a member of the public questioned a paid-for Facebook ad which claimed “What would you do with some extra money?… I paid off my credit card,” which challenged that the suggestion gambling could be a solution to financial problems was irresponsible.
Responding Profit Accumulator stated that the websites www.matchedbettercentre.com and www.matchedbettingbasics.com were operated by an affiliate, explaining that they “would ask the affiliate to attach an affiliate notice which disclosed the websites’ relationship to Profit Accumulator to the reviews on the website.”
Reiterating the belief that they consider their service not to be gambling, they firm stated the words “extra money” implied added income and not sole means of financial security, whilst also issuing a document that detailed how a customer had won £1000 over the course of a few weeks.
Upholding all complaints the ASA detailed that all adverts must not appear in their current form, and told Profit Accumulator “not to present themselves as a consumer in marketing communications and that all marketing communications must be easily identifiable as such.
“We also told Profit Accumulator Ltd not to claim that their service could guarantee any level of winnings. Further, we told Profit Accumulator Ltd not to state or imply that their service could assist with financial concerns such as personal debts, that their service could provide a sustainable income or imply that it could act as an alternative to employment or a way to achieve financial security.”