On the television screen, JackpotCity Casino explains that its jackpots always total over £1m, whilst displaying a moving animation of the games on offer to a catchy tune. It’s a relatively harmless ad that stands out because of it goes against what we’ve come to expect: scantily-clad blonde women winking at cameras and beckoning hapless men to try their – err, casino games.

As someone who used to work in advertising, I admit that I might take more notice of garish commercials and flashing banners than the average person. And as a woman, I certainly allow that I could be a little sensitive to the use of coyly sexualised images in online casinos. But I’m often bombarded with advertising for casinos that is totally inappropriate; loud banners with offensive colours, terrible slogans and strangely homogenous live dealers/models. I occasionally see the advertising for casinos and wonder what on earth a seductive temptress has to do with my affinity for blackjack.

Poker sites are especially guilty of selling sex; nowhere is this more obvious than in the poker ads before adult videos and on adult websites. I suppose this has to do with the old notion that men frequent gambling websites more than women, and that men are interested in seeing these kinds of images on a regular basis. But these ideas are antiquated; in fact, women make up the majority of several sectors of the online gambling market and poker, traditionally a male domain, is now becoming the purview of women.

At the end of the day, casino games are supposed to be enjoyed by everyone and I know of few women who would be happy to be confronted with a promo model clad only in a Santa hat every time they visit an online casino, let alone have it on their computer for everyone to see.