TonyBet's 'I made $8,500 last month' single-mum ad pulled by ASAI

A sponsored YouTube advertisement for TonyBet's sports betting casino depicted a woman holding a baby, with text reading: "It's hard to pay my rent and take care of my babies." She was later shown giving a thumbs up, with text: "But I made $8,500 last month." A footnote carried the terms and conditions of the promoted offer.

Two complainants objected that the ad depicted gambling as financially beneficial and created the dangerous impression that gambling could resolve personal or financial difficulties, targeted vulnerable individuals and perpetuated harmful stereotypes.

ASAI's Complaints Council upheld the complaint. It considered that "I made $8,500 last month" strongly indicated gambling would be a source of income, and that encouraging such a belief could lead to financial harm. The advertisement was held to depict gambling in a positive manner and must not reappear in its current form. Code sections 3.3 and 10.12(a)(b)(c)(j)(k) were breached.

TonyBet said it urgently discontinued the non-compliant ads. The creative had been handled by a mobile affiliate partner who had expanded their team; a new employee did not check the templates against internal guidelines before uploading, and the marketing team launched the campaign on the assumption the checks had passed. TonyBet raised the compliance concerns internally, added training, and reviewed its approval process, increasing the number of approval steps from two to five.

The ad was pulled after ASAI ruled it sold gambling as a way out of financial trouble; TonyBet raised approval steps from two to five.

'Gambling as a way out' is the one message every gambling code exists to stop: the ad told a parent who cannot pay rent that betting had already paid her $8,500

It aimed the pitch at the financially vulnerable — the person least able to absorb a gambling loss, and the most harmed by the belief that betting fixes money problems

The failure was process, not intent: an affiliate's new hire skipped the compliance check and the launch shipped as if it had been approved

A gambling ad must never sell the outcome. 'I made $8,500 last month' is a promise of income to a parent who cannot pay rent — the exact harm gambling codes exist to stop.

The ASAI ruling required the advertisement not reappear in its current form. TonyBet said it withdrew the non-compliant material immediately, held additional compliance training with stakeholders, tightened the creative approval process from two to five steps, and said continuation of the affiliate partnership would be reviewed.