Health Lottery balls up as ad is banned over more winners than the National Lottery claim
The Health Lottery gambled when it took to TV screens to falsely imply that it counted more winners than its chief rival, The National Lottery, after the Advertising Standards Authority moved to ban it.
An issue was a voiceover for the advertisement, which ran in May, in it, an announcer said: “There’s never been a better time to play the Health Lottery... and with over £100m handed out in prize money, there are more winners too."
That last line drew a complaint from a viewer who said it amounted to a misleading comparison between the Health Lottery and the National Lottery.
In its defence, the Health Lottery said its claim was a reference to an increase in the number of draws which take place which had naturally inflated the volume of winners.
In passing its judgement the watchdog ruled that viewers were likely to interpret the promotional piece as a comparison with rival lotteries and as such should not be broadcast.