Ladbrokes Iron Man 3 ad Banned over 'Kid Appeal' Ladbrokes Iron Man 3 ad prohibited over 'child appeal' 24 August 2016 An advert for bookmaker Ladbrokes including Marvel superhero Iron Man has actually been prohibited over worries it would interest kids. The e-mail, which included an image from the film Iron Man 3, breached rules which state gambling advertisements need to not be likely to appeal to children, the Advertising Standards Authority said. Ladbrokes stated all its advertising emails were sent to signed up clients or those known to be over 18. Most Iron Man fans are adults, it said. The bookmaker argued this was supported by data on participation at Comic Con fan occasions and Facebook demographics for the Marvel brand name. It likewise argued its advert was "adult-themed" and showed popular culture. However, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) supported the problem versus the 4 May email, stating that gambling ads must not be most likely to be of particular interest kids, specifically by reflecting or being related to youth culture. The ASA stated it comprehended that the email was only sent out to individuals aged 18 and over, but nevertheless, the limitations still applied. It said that as all Facebook users should state themselves to be a minimum of 13 years old, younger kids were therefore excluded from the sample utilized by Ladbrokes to support its position. The ASA said: "We considered those more youthful kids were likely to be the primary audience for Iron Man action figures and related merchandise, which we comprehended were extensively offered at toy merchants. "We understood that Iron Man was a popular character that would interest numerous adults but considered its comic book nature, and the availability of different related toys, implied it was most likely to have specific attract children and youths.