Mobile game ads 'breaking advertising rules' on social media - as clip featuring Beckham slammed
By Narbeh Minassian, news reporter
Adverts for mobile games across social media could be flouting regulations as an expert tells Sky Newshundredsmay beleaving out key details around in-app purchases.
The latest accused of falling foul of advertising standards was a30-second clip promotingCoinMaster- a popular village-building and slot machine game - featuring David Beckham.
One such ad shared was seen at least once by up to 1.3 million unique viewers over a span of 10 days in April on TikTok alone, according to the social media app's own data.
While the game is clearly marked to include in-game purchases on the app store, the advert above left out this information entirely.
That's despiteAdvertising Standards Authority guidancestating firms "must not mislead the consumer by omitting material information".
A spokesperson for the ASA told Sky News they are aware some ads are "failing to make it clear when games contain in-game purchases".
Academic researcher into gaming regulations Leon Xiao submitted a complaint to the body aboutCoinMaster, telling Sky News his research shows more than 90% of mobile game ads he examined on social media aren't disclosing in-app purchases.
"Consumers have been invited to download the game, supposedly for free, but when they made that decision they weren't given all the information to make an informed decision," he said.
"Some people, if they know there are loot boxes, maybe wouldn't download the game."
Games such as CoinMaster, which involve slot machine gameplay and offer faster progress through real-life purchases, are "social simulated casino games", Mr Xiao said.
"You can spend money to buy virtual currency and then use that to basically play a slot machine, even if you do win, you cannot convert winnings back into real money," he said.
The ASA has confirmed it received a complaint about this Coin Master advert, but said it has been amended and considers the case "closed".
A version of theCoinMaster advert appearing on social media in late May featured a caption stating the game contains in-app purchase, including random items.
Celebrities should take 'great care'
WhileCoinMaster appears to have left out key detail in its social media advert, it included David Beckham as the star of the clip, playing the game and discussing it with two strangers.
Lord Foster of Bath, who is the chair of the House of Lords committee Peers for Gambling Reform, told Sky News he is alarmed by the use of celebrities.
"I am deeply concerned about the growth of games, which have direct appeal to children, containing in-app purchases and features linked to gambling, and the fact that this is not made apparent in the marketing of these games," he said.
"High profile figures and celebrities need to take great care when endorsing products that are not properly labelled and which could be very harmful to children.
"Much stronger regulation is needed in relation to games like these and the way they are advertised. Current codes are simply not working."
Tel Aviv-based company Moon Active is the developer behindCoinMaster and paid for the advert.
A spokesperson for the firm said they were not aware of any complaints with the ASA.
"The live ads of our games in the UK include a disclosure that the games include in-app purchases as well as randomised items," they added.
"We are committed to ensuring our games are compliant in accordance with high industry standards."
Household names appear to have been a theme in their marketing in the UK, withavatars ofGreat British Bake Off stars Paul Hollywood and Prue Leithfeaturing in an ad for Travel Town.
This game includes loot boxes - mystery chests containing a random selection of items that can be purchased with real money or credits built up within a game.
Once again, their presence was not made clear in this specific advert appearing on social media.
Link to gambling?
When playingCoinMaster for the first time, the game's tutorial runs you through 20 spins - much like a slot machine - for the chance to win rewards and progress in the game.
Almost all 20 of these spins resulted in some kind of award when Sky News played.
Coin Master is far from unique in the use of slot-style games, and Mr Xiao believes games often "script" wins early on, which can "mislead you into thinking it's going to be like that".
"If you play slots in a casino, they can't guarantee you a big win on the first attempt," he pointed out.
Beyond the loot boxes, the game - like many others - offers rewards in a shop that can be bought using real money, from £1.79 up to £89.99 for a single purchase.
A2022 report by the UK Safer Internet Centrefound 70% of young people aged between 8 and 18 who play games onlinehave made a purchase, with 31% claiming to do so at least once a week.
TheNSPCC warnsyoung people can be "captivated" by the process of opening a loot box and, without regulation, could "normalise gambling" from a younger age.
"The mystery element of a loot box can make it seem more exciting for young people, and companies often advertise that they contain rarer items," the charity adds.
"They're often designed using bright graphics, fireworks and sounds which can add another level of excitement and make it particularly enticing.
"This might encourage them to repeat purchases with the hope of unboxing something similar."
In a studypublished on Science Direct last year, scientists in Spain reported a "positive relationship" between purchasing loot boxes and online gambling six months later - but the link requires "further study".
A Gambling Commission survey carried out by Ipsos Mori in 2020reported 23% of children between 11-16in England and Scotland purchase loot boxes.
As mentioned already, Coin Master is clearly and correctly labelled on the app store.
It's given a PEGI 18 rating, meaning it has an adult classification, which in this case is for simulated gambling and in-game purchases.
What does the ASA say?
While allegedly misleading adverts may be widespread across Meta and TikTok, the ASA told Sky News they "won't hesitate to ban ads that break our rules".
In March this year, three adverts on Facebook were banned for failing to properly disclose they contained in-game purchases.
These were8 Ball Pool,RuneScapeandGolf Clash.
An ASA spokesperson said: "We're aware that some ads are failing to make it clear when games contain in-game purchases and loot boxes.
"In 2021, we published new guidance on how these should be advertised.
"Following a 12-month review, this week [in May] we've made some updates to ensure that the guidance continues to give advertisers clarity on how the rules apply so that consumers aren't misled.
"Ads for video games need to make it clear when there are in-game purchases and loot boxes.
"They need to make it easy for players to understand how much they're spending on in-game transactions, and they must make it clear if a purchase is required to access certain content if that content is featured in the ads.
"Since first publishing the guidance, we've banned multiple ads for games that failed to properly disclose that they contained in-game purchases.
"We're continuing to monitor the situation, and we won't hesitate to ban ads that break our rules.
"We encourage anyone with concerns about ads they've seen to get in touch."
Representatives for Beckham, Hollywood and Leith were approached for comment.
