A lot of gambling companies have started coming under fire after they released provocative ads that a lot of people consider to be degrading to women. Just this last February, a company released a commercial which tried to parody Fifty Shades of Grey. This ad showed a woman in bed with a greyhound. That betting company was accused of encouraging bestiality after the release of that ad.

The chief executive for the Victorian Gambling Foundation, Serge Sardo, said that ads like that one are proof that we have reached a “new low” in the world of advertisements. “These tactics are a disturbing reflection on how far some gambling companies will go to sell their products.” Sardo told The Sydney Morning Herald.

The Advertising Standard Bureau has received around 17 complaints in the past five years about the depiction of women in gambling ads. There was also an ad that included a reference to a woman performing oral sex. Yet another online pokies campaign showed a man pushing his girlfriend’s face to the side so he can continue listening to the horse race.

It seems that this problem is becoming more and more prevalent as companies are willing to try anything in order to raise the awareness surrounding their brand. A lot of government departments are truly worried about this trend and how it might affect the perception of the average gambler.