At the end of last year, the UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) caused a stir by stating that an advert featuring former footballer Gary Neville had a notable appeal to younger audiences.

Flutter, clearly disagreeing with the decision, strongly criticised it, calling it devoid of common sense. In many ways, this stance reflected the broader frustration across the industry, which has found itself operating under heightened risk when using marketing activations involving current and former footballers.

A Flutter spokesperson stated at the time: “We are now in a situation where a regulated operator is reprimanded over a tweet promoting a football show to over-25s while illegal black-market operators flood the internet and social media without any checks.”

Flutter also highlighted that the ASA effectively initiated the complaint itself before reviewing and upholding it, suggesting that the regulator is under “intense pressure” from anti-gambling activists.

“Not one person complained about this tweet, either to us or the ASA. This ruling defies both precedent and common sense,” added the spokesperson.

Moreover, such marketing formats are set to become even more important in the lead-up to the World Cup, particularly as bookmakers face additional restrictions following the UK’s ban on front-of-shirt sponsorship.

Interestingly, this week the ASA adopted a stricter stance, with three strikers once again coming under scrutiny in its latest rulings—only one case avoided sanctions.

An Oddschecker Instagram post featuring Harry Kane and Erling Haaland, alongside betting-related data, was classified as both editorial content and a gambling promotion. Notably, it was deemed to have a strong appeal to minors.

The ASA instructed Oddschecker to remove both posts and warned the comparison platform against featuring players who may have significant appeal to underage audiences.

In the same set of rulings, a Betway advert featuring Arsenal legend Thierry Henry was cleared following a complaint from a researcher at the University of Bristol.

The regulator concluded that Henry does not hold significant appeal to younger audiences, given that he retired back in 2014.

In its ruling on Neville last year, the ASA noted that his role as a TV pundit placed him in a “moderate risk” category. However, the decisive factor in upholding the complaint was the former Manchester United right-back’s social media following.

The same follower-based metric was used to justify the conclusion that Thierry Henry does not significantly appeal to younger audiences.

At the same time, Henry remains almost as prominent in football punditry as Neville. While the tastes and perceptions of younger generations can sometimes be puzzling, the notion that Neville is so much more appealing than Henry — enough to warrant entirely different regulatory outcomes — appears illogical, regardless of Instagram follower counts.

Much like the handball rule in the Premier League, the industry can adapt to new frameworks. However, it urgently needs clarity on what is and is not acceptable. The boundaries around using footballers and public figures have become increasingly blurred, making it ever more difficult to deliver successful and compliant marketing campaigns.

 

 

Source

 

 

#iGaming #UKGC #ASA #SportsBetting #GamingRegulation #ResponsibleAdvertising #MarketingCompliance #Football #WorldCup #GamingIndustry