Bomb-defusing Sportsbet ad deemed safe by ad watchdog

A Sportsbet television commercial featuring a man defusing a bomb has been cleared by the ad watchdog despite complaints arguing the ad is “insensitive and wrong”.

The 15-second ad promoting bets for the third State of Origin match included a man defusing a bomb to intense music as a voiceover interrupts by saying ‘Kaboom’.

Despite Ad Standards concluding the ad did no portray violence or have any obvious link between the “movie-like behaviour” and actual terrorism, a complaint said the ad should be promptly withdrawn.