They ask to eliminate the video of the Colombia National Team song The rhythm that unites us by Ryan Castro

The urban genre singer Ryan Castro and the producer SOG released the song “The rhythm that unites us”, an ode to the Colombian soccer team that is currently participating in the Copa América. The video for the single was released on June 8 on digital platforms, showing several players on the team, including James Rodríguez, Luis Díaz and Juan Fernando Quintero.

The CON-SUMMA Consumers League filed a complaint with the Superintendency of Industry and Commerce (SIC) regarding the video of the song. “Through this letter we would like to inform you of an advertising video for the Colombian National Team and some products, including the betting house on-line BetPlay,” reads the complaint filed by the league, which La W had access to.

Why did they ask to remove the video for the song “The Rhythm That Unites Us”?

CON-SUMMA explains that “in said video, the singer Ryan Castro, several players from the Colombian National Team and a group of Colombian fans are shown singing and celebrating, among them several minors. At 24 seconds the first explicit reference to betting appears on-line by cell phone, then at minute 1:05 the second bet appears on-line and then at minute 2:04 the third bet appears on-line”.

The betting company BetPlay is one of the main sponsors of the Colombian national team. The league that filed the complaint claims that placing the brand and showing how bets are placed can encourage minors to gamble. “Note that the singer Ryan Castro and the fans in yellow jerseys have a large allusion to the BetPlay brand,” they add.

“We have denounced the BetPlay company’s advertising included in the video of Ryan Castro’s song ‘El ritmo que nos une’, it does not comply with gambling advertising regulations,” CON-SUMMA said on June 26 in a statement on social media. The next day, the Consumers League clarified that if the video was not removed, they would ask for the immediate inclusion of two disclaimers warning, explaining the content it contains regarding gambling.

“In our opinion, this advertising video of the Colombian National Team, Gatorade and the Betting House on-line BetPlay does not comply with Colombian regulations on online betting, especially the Resolutions on Responsible Gaming of 2021 and the one on gaming advertising of December 2023. Furthermore, this commercial video violates the Consumer Statute Law 1480 of 2011, which considers children and adolescents as especially vulnerable consumers, according to numeral 5 of article 1, which it promotes as one of its fundamental purposes,” the members of the league justify.

“Likewise, games of chance, and in this case betting on-linepose risks to people’s health, in relation to the risk of addiction or behaviour related to gambling addiction, which is why this type of product requires special regulation which, from the Consumer Statute itself, implies the obligation to inform the consumer about its harmfulness,” they add.

CON-SUMMA’s petition

1. The infringement of the rights of children and adolescents as subjects of special protection in the reported advertising video is investigated.
2. As a preventive measure, in order to urgently and manifestly protect the interests of child and adolescent consumers, the immediate withdrawal of the video by its promoters and creators is to be taken.
3. The promoters and advertisers of the advertising video, especially BETPLAY SAS, are ordered to include a permanent mention through a banner visible to the eyes of the public indicating that gambling and betting on minors is prohibited and also that Be warned that gambling and betting create the risk of addiction.
4. A fine shall be imposed, following a disciplinary process, on the promoters and advertisers of the advertising video reported for violating regulations related to consumer protection and advertising of games of chance.