Germany have won, but Andy's dad gambles on

Andy's dad may have won his bet, but the boy is still not happy.

After Germany beat Argentina in yesterday's World Cup final, the character lamented that his father, who used all his savings for his first bet, couldn't quit his bad habit.

In the new ad that the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) published on its website after Germany clinched the championship with a 1-0 win at about 6am yesterday, Andy was asked if his father had returned his savings.

The boy responded: "No, dad never stops...he wants to bet one more time."

The latest ad comes in the wake of one which made headlines worldwide, for being ironically spot on, after Germany thrashed Brazil 7-1 in the quarter-finals last week.

That ad started off by showing a group of boys discussing who they think will win the World Cup. It ends with Andy saying: "I hope Germany will win. My dad bet all my savings on them."

Despite trying to save an own goal this time round, the new ad was also roundly panned by netizens, who said NCPG's latest efforts come too little, too late.

But some, like Minister of State for Trade and Industry Teo Ser Luck, lauded the twist in the anti-gambling ad campaign.

In a post on his Facebook page, Mr Teo said: "For NCPG to come up with a sequel following the storyline created by the community and social media, is commendable in itself."

He added: "(NCPG) did not approach (the matter) in a knee-jerk manner, like taking down the ad...Most importantly, they could accept that, sometimes, it is OK to laugh at ourselves with a little humour."

Responding to media queries, an NCPG spokesman emphasised that the council's "central message is that problem gambling causes harm...regardless of the nature and outcome of the bet".

"We took the opportunity to reinforce the fact that problem gamblers find it hard to stop, regardless of the outcome of any single bet," the spokesman added.

Mark Teo, 31, a business development manager for an advertising agency, said that the advertisement was a "good effort at damage control".

"But the advertisement will remain a reminder of (NCPG's) mistake in the weeks to come," he added.

wtkoh@sph.com.sg

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