AUSSIE DECEPTIVE ADVERTISING CONDEMNED BY MINISTER
21 August 2009
Gaming and Racing minister cites marketing
website, alerts online gambling companies
In New South Wales, Australia, a furore has broken out
over alleged deceptive advertising involving a well
known Internet marketing agency, with Gaming and Racing
minister Kevin Greene stepping in to ask legitimate
online gambling websites to end any financial
association with the offending site.
The issue
attracted the attention of the Aussie mainstream media
following the intervention of the minister and the
sinister nature of the alleged deception, which involved
using fake websites that falsely advertised problem
gambling assistance in order to misdirect users to a
different site actively promoting gambling.
Minister Greene said that the false advertising was
"disgusting" and designed to target people with personal
gambling problems. He said that each Australian gambling
website that appeared on the questionable marketing page
was in violation of advertising rules under the Northern
Territory’s Responsible Gambling Code. He did not say
what, if any, sanctions awaited those found responsible
for the deception.
"Not only do these websites
seem to be places offering assistance to those with
gambling problems, they immediately redirected people to
a website promoting gambling services," the minister
said. "This is an appalling tactic that appears to be
intentionally designed to prey on vulnerable people in
our society looking for help."
The minister added
that he had contacted the legitimate gambling companies
involved and urged them have themselves removed from the
agency website, "...which they may not even be aware
links to their own websites."
“It is clear the
quickest thing that these gambling companies can do is
voluntarily remove themselves from [this] appalling
site," he said.
One of the suspect sites was
reportedly Gamblers Anonymous.com.au, which
automatically forwarded traffic to the Bookmaker.com.au
affiliate site, where advertisements for some of
Australia’s largest sports betting websites, such as
Sportsbet.com.au, Centrebet.com.au and
Sportingbet.com.au were displayed.
Spokesmen for
the online gambling sites advertised on the agency's
site immediately condemned the misleading and
irresponsible marketing practice, and initial reports
indicated they had complied with the minister's request
to be removed from the offending page.
Gamblersanonymous.com.au is now offline following the
widespread media coverage of the story. It is allegedly
owned by Bookmaker.com.au, an agency that performs
marketing services for online gambling firms.
Bookmaker.com.au claimed that visitors to
gamblersanonymous.com.au were redirected in error,
during a time when programmers were building the
gamblersanonymous website. The site reportedly has no
direct relationship with the real and reputable Gamblers
Anonymous.org.au body.
Australian problem
gambling activist, Reverend Tim Costello, rejected the
“honest mistake” explanation presented by the marketing
agency, calling the deception: ‘‘one of the most
socially irresponsible, sinister things I’ve heard of.’’
Independent Australian Senator, Nick Xenophon,
called for those that abused Australian domain names to
be severely penalised, calling the people that
orchestrated the fraudulent site, “corporate cannibals.”
Online Casino News Courtesy of
Infopowa
More news here.
Top of page |
Home |
News |
Forum |
Webcast |
Vortran |
Accredited Casinos |
Evil Ones |
Pitch a Bitch |
Online Gambling Resources |
Poker
|
