Singapore tried its best to save an own goal on Monday by updating an anti-gambling ad that starred a despairing boy named Andy telling friends his dad had bet his life savings on Germany winning the World Cup.
The National Council on Problem Gambling’s commercial was lampooned around the world after Germany thrashed Brazil 7-1 in the semi-finals, sparking jokes that the ad would encourage rather than deter gambling.
The laughs got louder after Germany beat Argentina 1-0 on Sunday night with many people taking to social media to congratulate “Andy” on his family’s good fortune.
“Andy, OK you can stop smiling. Go get your savings from your daddy. Tell him please don’t do this again and you get ready for school,” Teo Ser Luck, a Trade and Industry Ministry official, wrote on Facebook.
The council swiftly put up a new version of the ad on its website, making clear Andy’s father was unlikely to be spending his winnings on a family holiday.
“Your dad’s team won,” asks Andy’s friend. “Did you get your savings back?”
“No, dad never stops ... He wants to bet one more time,” comes his reply, without specifying where he might place his next wager.
The council said last week it had chosen Germany in the ad to inject “realism” into its message and that the idea was to deter people from getting carried away by the World Cup hype.
Gambling is hugely popular in Singapore but tightly regulated, with football bets allowed to be placed only through state-owned bookmakers.
The government launched the anti-gambling council in 2005 – before it allowed two multi-billion dollar gaming resorts to open in 2010. The commercial will run until July 23.
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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Director: M Night Shyamalan
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More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Have you been targeted?
Tuan Phan of SimplyFI.org lists five signs you have been mis-sold to:
1. Your pension fund has been placed inside an offshore insurance wrapper with a hefty upfront commission.
2. The money has been transferred into a structured note. These products have high upfront, recurring commission and should never be in a pension account.
3. You have also been sold investment funds with an upfront initial charge of around 5 per cent. ETFs, for example, have no upfront charges.
4. The adviser charges a 1 per cent charge for managing your assets. They are being paid for doing nothing. They have already claimed massive amounts in hidden upfront commission.
5. Total annual management cost for your pension account is 2 per cent or more, including platform, underlying fund and advice charges.
Kat Wightman's tips on how to create zones in large spaces
- Area carpets or rugs are the easiest way to segregate spaces while also unifying them.
- Lighting can help define areas. Try pendant lighting over dining tables, and side and floor lamps in living areas.
- Keep the colour palette the same in a room, but combine different tones and textures in different zone. A common accent colour dotted throughout the space brings it together.
- Don’t be afraid to use furniture to break up the space. For example, if you have a sofa placed in the middle of the room, a console unit behind it will give good punctuation.
- Use a considered collection of prints and artworks that work together to form a cohesive journey.
