The UK’s advertising regulator has widened its remit to capture social media marketing by gambling companies licensed to operate in Britain, even if those companies are based overseas.

The Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP), the body that writes UK advertising codes, confirmed that its rules now apply to non-paid-for online marketing aimed at UK consumers by any advertiser subject to UK licensing conditions requiring CAP Code compliance.

Enforcement remains with the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), the independent regulator that applies CAP’s rules and issues rulings on ads.

In practice, the change primarily affects licensed gambling operators that use social media channels to target British consumers without having a UK-registered company address.

Previously, such non-paid-for content fell outside the Code unless the advertiser was based in the UK or used a website with a “.uk” domain.

“The amendment ensures all marketing communications targeted at UK consumers by licensed gambling operators are regulated and held to account by the same body,” CAP said.

“The Gambling Commission’s licensing conditions require compliance with the CAP Code and allow the ASA Council to rule consistently on such ads by any authorised gambling operator no matter where they are based,” it added.

Until now, certain organic posts on cross-border platforms, including social media, sat in a grey area, creating a potential enforcement gap.

CAP stressed that it does not expect the change to impact other sectors.

Stakeholders have three months to comment on the impact of the extension. CAP said it would undertake a formal review after the consultation period closes on 1 December.

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