Online Casino Tests British Advertising Waters Yet Again

The Internet gambling company has decided to once again risk the wrath of the UK's Advertising Standards Authority with a new commercial, despite having their last few ads rejected by the regulators.

Executives at Ladbrokes, the online casino operator, apparently aren't familiar with the phrase "once bitten, twice shy." The Internet gambling company has decided to once again risk the wrath of the UK's Advertising Standards Authority with a new commercial, despite having their last few ads rejected by the regulators.

The new ad for Ladbrokes once again is humor-based, a risky approach as the ASA has shown no inclination to acknowledge comedic intent. This time a giant lemur counts down from one hundred and then goes searching for the player, crashing into buildings as it stumbles through empty streets in a game of hide-and-seek.

The tag line is that you can find thrills easier than playing hide-and-seek, with a lemur just by playing at Ladbrokes online casinos.

The ad recalls a bit of British pop culture history, the cartoon giant hedgehog of Monty Python fame that would appear above high buildings calling for "Dimmesdale!"

Previously, Ladbrokes had to pull a commercial featuring a man swimming with sharks after covering himself in meat and using the same theme of thrills that are easier to find. In that case, the ASA responded to a single complaint that the ad pushed reckless risk-taking behavior.

Ladbrokes itself may be taking a risky gamble, betting that the ASA is comprised of more than just humorless, literal-minded Puritans.