Festive ads in Malaysia usually toe around the lines of comedy and drama to deliver a message appropriate for the season. As most local brands hop on the trend of releasing a festive film, it’s no surprise that local online betting platform, GDBet333, also followed suit.
However, the local online casino released a Raya ad last week featuring a man experiencing financial difficulties around the festive season who then arrives in his hometown in a new car after having won thousands of ringgit via the betting platform, much to the excitement of others in the kampung.
The ad then shows the man promoting GDBet333 to his family and friends with a background jingle that includes the verses, “GDBet333 ada, apa nak tunggu, marilah cuba, untung nasibmu, engkau berjaya, cuci semua, kemudian beraya (GDBet33 is here, what are you waiting for, try it, if you’re lucky, you’ll win, wash it all off (winnings) and then celebrate Raya.)
Since the video was posted, it has received backlash from some Malaysians stating that the ad is insensitive to muslims and may fool some naive muslims who aren’t aware that the ad promotes a gambling platform.
One Twitter user has also urged the Malaysian Islamic Development Department to look into the ad and another Twitter user said “It is mind-boggling that GDBet333 would pull such a stunt, while expressing concern that desperate individuals may be deceived or enticed into gambling.”
The Raya ad posted on GDBET333’s YouTube channel has been removed since this article was published.
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