Don’t Fall Foul of Advertising Standards Agency

_{The Advertising Standards Authority resolved over 33,000 complaints in 2023. (Image: Chris Batson / Alamy)}

The Advertising Standards Agency has developed a full list of rules for advertisers to follow, including those in the gambling industry.

For land based and online casinos specifically is important not to inflate claims, mislead people, inappropriately place ads, target those vulnerable, feature someone under 25. Fail to include conditions and you could be in trouble.

They even provide bitesize videos to help you understand the rules. Unfortunately for some, 2024 was the year they fell out of the ASA.

ASA Resolved Over 33,000 Complaints in 2023 

In the UK, there are rules all ads and promotions must follow, and these are written by the committee of advertising practice or cap. These rules are enforced by the ASA. 

Most ads don't receive complaints but last year the ASA resolved over 33,000 complaints about ads and promotions that did so.

September was a busy month for the ASA to look at complaints. 

Big Companies and Social Media Influencers Take Note 

It isn’t just small companies that fall foul of the ASA. 

In July, a paid-for search ad and a website for William Hill advertising a new customer welcome bonus misled consumers by failing to include all significant conditions of the promotion and by not positioning the conditions prominently. 

GB Sports Advisors Ltd., t/a Geoff Banks Online, also had a website ad offering a free bet but failed to include all the significant conditions of the promotion.

Social media influencers are a growing breed. Social media platforms are also subject to ASA rules. In May Festival Free Bets were taken to task by the ASA when a post on Astrid Wett’s X (formerly Twitter) page, advertising a company that collated betting offers, broke gambling ad rules by featuring someone under 25. 

Tip Top Advice From ASA 

If you are running a prize draw competition or a giveaway, it's important that you do so responsibly and fairly so you don't cause any unnecessary disappointment. 

This means making sure you find all aspects carefully, from setting out the rules on how to participate clearly to making certain you award the actual prize.

As far as the ASA is concerned, if you're running the promotion, you are also responsible for it from start to finish. You can't blame a third party for letting you down if you could have reasonably planned for that.