Gambling website Virgin Games - run by Simon Burridge, Richard Branson's right-hand man for his People's Lottery bid - is launching its first major high street advertising campaign.

While the £50bn-a-year online betting industry is booming - dominated by players such as PartyGaming and 888.com - advertising and marketing to consumers treads a fine regulatory line, and brands such as Virgin Games have to be particularly cautious with their campaigns.

Gambling and casino companies are banned from broadcast advertising, but can sponsor programming, and any advertising must not use the offer of free money or lavish prizes to entice individuals to bet.

The outdoor advertising campaign, developed by Rainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe/Y&R, uses Virgin's red branding and the word "twist" - which means asking for another card in a card game.

Other ads feature casino and poker terminology including "stick", "flop" and "raise".

The campaign will promote the Virgin Casino and Virgin Poker websites.

The outdoor campaign has launched in Manchester and Glasgow with a national rollout planned for autumn.

A digital campaign, created by Lean Mean Fighting Machine, will run in support and ads will be placed on key websites, including MSN Messenger, MSN Games and Yahoo!.

Media planning and buying has been handled by Manning Gottlieb OMD.

Tessa Jowell, the minister for culture, media and sport, recently proposed rules for the industry to promote "socially responsible gambling".

A consultation with the Gambling Commission and the Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practive is under way ahead of a loosening of TV ad rules in the forthcoming Gambling Act in September 2007.

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