The advertising regulator ASA has upheld two complaints against Ladbrokes regarding an advertisement that was deemed likely to appeal to individuals under the age of 18 and breached BCAP and CAP rules.

The ad, from the Entain brand featuring the in-game currency “Ladbucks,” was broadcast on TV on December 17, 2024, and on video-on-demand on December 23, 2024.

The advertisement showed coins marked with the initials “Lb” along with the texts “100m LADBUCKS,” “FREE BETS,” and “FREE SPINS.”

A voiceover in the ad stated: “This is a Ladbuck, the new way to get rewarded at Ladbrokes, and these are some of the 100 million Ladbucks that will be dropping weekly. Collect them on our free-to-play games and choose rewards like free spins, free bets and more. 

“Over 100 million Ladbucks dropping every single week. Plus, you can even use them to play your favourite games for free in our Ladbucks arcade. Like Fishin Frenzy and Goldstrike. Start collecting at Ladbrokes.com.”

Ladbrokes disputes that Ladbucks appeal to minors

Ladbrokes challenges the claim that Ladbucks attract minors.

The concern that the term “Ladbucks” might appeal to under-18s is due to its similarity to the in-game currencies “V-bucks” from Fortnite and “Robux” from Roblox — two games popular among youth under 18.

Ladbrokes argues that Ladbucks are only available to logged-in, verified users over 18, cannot be purchased for money, have no real monetary value, expire if unused, have no market exchange rate, and are not applicable across all products on the site.

Additionally, the Entain brand stated that each game or offer involving Ladbucks has a fixed value, unlike in-game currencies, and that the term “Ladbucks” is a wordplay based on the Ladbrokes name.

The operator emphasized that the term “bucks” is widely recognized as a colloquial term for dollars and is frequently used to refer to money in various contexts, including video games, without being part of youth culture. The company believes the word does not possess strong appeal for those under 18.

Ladbrokes also noted that both ads included audience targeting restrictions aimed at minimizing children’s exposure, and that the term “Ladbucks” is not linked to in-game coins from video games popular with minors.

The operator pointed out that the in-game currencies “V-bucks” from Fortnite and “Robux” from Roblox require prior purchase to acquire in-game items; some Robux features require parental consent, and subscription buyers must be over 18.

Ladbrokes emphasized that the only similarity between these currencies and Ladbucks is the word “bucks,” and the rewards program was thoroughly reviewed with no identified risk of association with Fortnite or Roblox.

The operator also noted that reward schemes are widely used across various industries, and the use of poker chip imagery is appropriate for a licensed gambling operator; therefore, the advertisement contains no similarities to the mentioned games in either imagery or content.

The Entain brand added that they do not believe the term “lad” refers to boys or young men, and their brand has never been used in that context. Clearcast also does not consider the term “Ladbucks” to have strong appeal to children or to resemble in-game currencies.

Meanwhile, the broadcaster Channel 4, which aired the advertisement on its streaming platform, confirmed that the ad complies with established regulations.

ASA Upholds Complaints

In response, the ASA concluded that the name and visual design of Ladbucks could appeal to minors due to their similarity to in-game currencies such as V-bucks from Fortnite and Robux from Roblox, especially given the popularity of these games among those under 18.

The regulator noted that the suffix “bucks” in Ladbucks strongly resembles the in-game currencies Robux and V-bucks, the latter of which derives from “Vindertech bucks”, a fictional company in the video game — giving them a similar structural formation.

Regarding the word “lad”, the ASA disagreed with Ladbrokes’ stance, stating that “lad” is a colloquial term for a boy or young man. In the context of the ad, when paired with “buck”, the term could be recognised and appealing to some minors.

The ASA also pointed out that the design of the Ladbuck poker chip bears similarities to the V-buck, and that an earlier version of Robux also had a similar appearance.

While Ladbrokes’ position as a licensed gambling operator was acknowledged as justification for the chip-like design, the ASA argued that the resemblance to in-game currencies as perceived by minors stemmed not just from the token’s imagery, but from the combined use of the visual design and the term Ladbucks.

It was further noted that the use of Ladbucks in an online store and arcade setting “was likely to evoke associations with how in-game currencies like Robux and V-bucks are used,” increasing their appeal to under-18s.

The ASA stated: “For those reasons, we concluded the name Ladbucks, when considered alongside the imagery and the application of the coin in the ads, was depicted in a manner which was similar to features in video games popular with children. We therefore considered the term in the ads was likely to be of strong appeal to under-18s and breached the Code.”

The agency added that the ads must not appear again in their current form, and that Ladbrokes has been instructed not to include content in its advertising that has strong appeal to minors or reflects youth culture.

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