ASA sets new standards for gambling ads in the UK

The standards published by the authority are set to come into force on April 1, 2019.

UK.- The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) published on Wednesday a new set of standards that will be applied to the gambling industry. The new regulations, which will come into force on April 1, aim to protect children and young people.

The information released on Wednesday said that the new standards follow a review of the evidence on advertising’s impact on under-18s and rulings by the Advertising Standards Authority, which said that evidence suggests that exposure to gambling ads that comply with the UK’s Advertising Codes is, of itself, unlikely to harm under-18s. Despite the evidence, targeted restrictions are still required, however, to address the potential risks associated with irresponsible advertising.

The new standards prohibit online ads for gambling products being targeted at groups of individuals who are likely to be under 18 based on data about their online interests and browsing behaviour. They also list unacceptable types of content, including certain types of animated characters, licensed characters from movies or TV and sportspeople and celebrities that are likely to be of particular appeal to children, and references to youth culture.

Moreover, they prohibit the use in gambling ads of sportspersons, celebrities or other characters who are or appear to be under 25, and adds to existing guidance on the responsible targeting of ads, covering all media (including social networks and other online platforms).

The authority detailed that gambling operators must use all the tools available to them on a social network platform to prevent targeting their ads at under-18s. This includes both ad targeting facilities provided directly by the platform based, on their platform users’ interests and browsing behaviour, and tools that restrict under-18s’ access to marketers’ own social media content.

Operators should take particular care to avoid placing their ads on parts of websites of particular appeal to under-18s. They also should pay attention when identifying influencers to promote their products or brands. They should take into account the influencer’s likely appeal and obtain audience data to ensure that under-18s are not likely to comprise more than 25% of the audience.

Director of the Committees of Advertising Practice, Shahriar Coupal, said: “Playing at the margins of regulatory compliance is a gamble at the best of times, but for gambling advertisers it’s particularly ill-advised, especially when the welfare of children is at stake. Our new standards respond to the latest evidence and lessons from ASA rulings, and require that greater care is taken in the placement and content of gambling ads to ensure they are not inadvertently targeted at under 18s.”