Bet365 and William Hill’s ads, under ASA investigation

The UK’s advertising watchdog is looking into the gaming companies’ World Cup ads contravened gambling guidelines.

UK.- World Cup ads released by both Bet365 and William Hill are being investigated by the Advertising Stanards Authority (ASA) after 115 complaints were filed during football’s top tournament. The gambling watchdog will look into the number of gambling adverts broadcasted and will determine whether the companies contravened new gambling guidelines.

“The majority of the complaints we received during the World Cup were about the amount/volume of gambling ads that appear as well as concerns that betting and gaming ads should not be scheduled around programmes when children are watching. Viewers find this irresponsible and inappropriate. There were other complaints about misleading ts & cs,” an ASA source told iGamingBusiness.com and added: “We don’t regulate the amount of ads that appear. But under the current scheduling rules, gambling ads cannot appear on dedicated children’s channels or in and around programmes principally directed at or likely to appeal particularly to them. World Cup games do not fall under that definition.”

Back in February, the Committees of Advertising Practice issued a gambling advertising guidance, wich identified “impulsiveness and urgency” as specific concerns and urged companies to have ads “not to unduly pressure people to gamble.”