A British gaming regulator is taking action to challenge a legal sports betting advertisement.
The Advertising Standards Authority — the United Kingdom’s advertising watchdog — has ruled that an Instagram post shared by XLMedia’s FreeBets.com in July breached code. The post featured Mancheser United midfielder Mason Mount, who is under 25 years of age. The ASA’s code requires that gambling services use people who are 25 and older in marketing communications.
There is a specific exception for marketing by UK betting sites that offer direct wagering. The ASA ruled that FreeBets.com’s marketing breached code due to Mount being the central focus of the ad. For that reason, the regulator has deemed the advertisement as irresponsible.
The ASA has also taken issue with XLMedia’s lack of response to its breached code. The regulator reminded XLMedia to respond to its inquiry but never received a proper response.
As a result, XLMedia is prohibited from running the ad in its current form. The company must also ensure that it will not include anyone under 25 years of age in any future marketing.
New mandates
The ASA’s age requirement comes after changes to sports betting regulations in the UK.
In 2022, gambling operators were banned from publishing ads that included soccer players and other high-profile athletes. However, the ban does not include marketing of club sponsors.
Several British clubs, including the Premier League’s Everton, have landed kit sponsorship deals with operators. That will change in 2026 when front-of-shirt deals will be banned.
Staying busy
The ASA has been busy in 2023 amid the meteoric rise of sports betting.
In August, the regulator ruled that a piece of marketing shared on social media by bet365 breached code. The ad, which was published on Twitter via Sky Sports Premier League’s account, featured European soccer star Granit Xhaka. The marketing also included footage with bet365 branding from a February 2023 match between Arsenal and Manchester United.
The ASA ruled that the ad breached code because it included an individual who was likely to appeal to minors. Bet365 contested that the ad was part of an official sponsorship with Sky Sports Premier League. Despite the dispute by the betting operator, the ASA upheld its ruling.
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