The ASA, however, said 888.com was ultimately 'responsible' for the content.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) said it has banned the advert on the grounds that it 'targeted vulnerable people', was 'socially irresponsible', and broke the rules by suggesting gambling could provide an escape from depression and financial concerns.Ĩ88.com said the ad, which has been removed, was created by an affiliate and that it had now terminated the agreement with the company. 'His debt and financial worries came to an abrupt end,” the ad continued. The advertorial stated that the man, who was 'depressed', and £130,000 in debt after selling his house to pay for his wife's cancer treatment, 'stumbled upon an ad for 888 Casino', and won 'over 30 times his annual salary in a single spin'. The company, which runs casino, poker, sport, and bingo gambling sites, paid for an advertorial article, that appeared on a third-party website, and told the story of a character called 'William' who 'stumbled upon' 888.com when waiting outside a hospital for his cancer-stricken wife.

Online betting firm 888.com was 'socially irresponsible' when it showed an advert that told the story of a man who gambled in order to pay for his wife's cancer treatment, the UK's ad watchdog has said.

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