The famous singer’s hit is used in an advertisement run by Loto-Quebec in attempt to appeal to younger gamblers
A new card game, released by the Quebec provincial lottery company, the Crown Corporation, is now advertised on TV and radio to the sounds of ‘Poker Face’, a song released by Lady Gaga in 2008, which since then has become a huge hit. The intension is to appeal to the audience of gamblers in their 20’s and 30’s, who are familiar with the song and the performer. The company is said to have paid CAD 300,000 for the royalties to the song. This is the highest royalty fee ever paid by the Crown Corporation in 41 years of its existence.
According to the reports released by the company, the investment in royalties has paid off very quickly, as its revenue in only two days following the first airing of the advertisement exceeded CAD 440,000. The same reports state that the amount earned by the company in the first week after the campaign has started, was just over CAD 2.4 million.
The company’s attempt to attract younger players is seen by some as an undesired practice. This policy is criticized by those who believe such targeting would affect negatively potential problem gamblers. They say the young age is when it is most likely for people to develop such habits.
Another wave of criticism is aimed at the political parties, in this case Liberal party of British Columbia, who allegedly opposed pro-gambling policies prior to elections, but after it has reached the majority in the provincial government, it has only expanded the volume of gambling operations in this Canadian province.
