The advertisement contended that the sports book operator offered better value than its competitors. It stated that Betfair offered a better price than William Hill on 506 of 640 runners, Paddy Power on 549 of 640 runners, and Betfred on 543 of 640 runners for the London Marathon about 30 minutes prior to the race. The advertisement was flagged after a viewer challenged this claim with evidence that the latter three sports book also claimed the “Best Odds Guaranteed”.

Betfair argued that the price comparison reflects the most up to date and meaningful point due to price convergence leading up to the race. Furthermore, the sports book argued that “Best Odds Guaranteed” was a restricted payout given to losing or new customers.

However, the ASA ruled that the Betfair ad erroneously compared its prices to the competitors and offered misleading information about the relative pricing and odds for the London Marathon.

This is the second time that a Betfair advertisement has been banned.