The UK’s Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) has updated its guidance on protecting under-18s from gambling marketing, refining how the “strong appeal” test introduced in 2022 should be applied. The clarification focuses on social media influence, sports imagery, and the use of public figures. These are all areas that have drawn recent scrutiny from the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).
Three new ASA rulings demonstrate how regulators are enforcing these stricter standards, signalling a clear focus on child protection in gambling advertising.
Of Football Logos and Fan Imagery
Betway was recently found in breach of advertising rules after an ad featured Chelsea FC scarves and hats. Despite efforts to limit youth appeal by showing only adult fans and avoiding live football footage, the ASA ruled that embedding team logos in a fan setting amplified football’s strong appeal to under-18s.
The ruling clarifies that even where logos identify the subject of gambling activity, their use in fan-centric contexts remains high-risk. CAP recommends treating team branding as a neutral identifier only, preferably displayed briefly or at the end of an advertisement.
CAP’s updated guidance also now frames 100,000 under-18 followers as a threshold for “strong appeal,” even when the percentage of young followers is low. The importance of data-driven risk assessments when partnering with influencers or public figures is clearer now, and stakeholders are already taking note.
Public Figures and Broader Youth Appeal
In a third ruling, Eaton Gate Gaming (Kwiff) was sanctioned for using Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton in a social media post linked to betting odds. The ASA cited Hamilton’s estimated 150,000 under-18 followers, his presence in PEGI 3-rated video games, and child-friendly media appearances as factors contributing to youth appeal.
While Formula 1 was previously viewed as adult-oriented, the decision reflects a shift toward evaluating both the sport and the personality featured.
Age-Gating and Compliance Risks
The ASA also reaffirmed that gambling ads featuring high-risk content must only appear where under-18s can be entirely excluded. However, current age verification on major platforms remains inadequate, even with measures introduced under the Online Safety Act 2023. Advertisers are therefore going to have to assume mixed-age audiences on all social media platforms and remove any potentially high-risk elements.
These rulings illustrate a tightening regulatory environment where compliance now depends on measurable data, cautious creative choices, and proactive youth-risk evaluation. The ASA’s message is unambiguous: gambling advertisers must go further to ensure their campaigns are not only compliant but also demonstrably responsible.
