Submitted to the British Board of Film Censors as The Cola Game by Gala Film Distributors and passed with an "X" certificate on 11 January 1961. Opened in London at the Gala Royal, Marble Arch on 12 January 1961 sharing the bill with One Life (1958) and running for a lucrative seven weeks. A morning showing on 13 January 1961 at 10:30 am was set aside for press and trade, but the reviews were mixed. The Cola Game was not generally released on the major circuits, but received several showings at city cinemas specializing in foreign films, such as Nottingham's Scala in July 1961.