KSA warns Postcode Lottery over breach of gambling ad restrictions

An advertising campaign for the Postcode Lottery breached rules on the use of role models.

The Netherlands.- The Dutch gambling regulator De Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) has warned the Netherland’s National Postcode Lottery operator over breaching the country’s new gambling ad rules. The regulator found that a campaign for its Deal or no Deal game had breached the ban on using role models that appeal to young people.

The KSA found that the operator had used a famous person with wide reach among young people in the Netherlands. New rules require operators of lower-risk products to investigate a celebrity’s appeal to young people before using them in ads.

The KSA said: “If they want to use a famous Dutch person in an advertisement, providers of less risky games of chance, such as lotteries, must investigate the reach of that person among minors and young adults. If the reach is substantial, the role model may not be used in advertisements.”

While NPL did not carry out such an investigation until the KSA requested it, the regulator itself confirmed that the famous person in question had “substantial reach” among young people.

The evidence it used for its conclusion included the size of the celebrity’s social media presence, which included 200,000 Instagram followers and more than 100,000 TikTok followers. It also found that television programmes featuring celebrities had large numbers of viewers aged under 25. The KSA decided to issue a warning rather than a fine.

Dutch regulator warns operators to moderate ads during World Cup

The warning comes after the KSA called for careful moderation of gaming ads during the football World Cup. It has written to advertisers to warn that it will increase its attention on gambling ad standards during the event, which starts on November 20.

The World Cup takes place before the introduction of the Netherlands’ ban on untargeted broadcast gambling advertising, which is to come into effect on January 1. However, the KSA said it would be checking to ensure advertisers comply with existing rules, which have included a ban on the use of role models since the start of July.

KSA chairman René Jansen wrote in a blog post that operators would risk a further backlash if they don’t show restraint in gambling advertising during the World Cup. It was the saturation of gambling ads following the opening of the regulated online gambling market last October that caused politicians to call for tougher rules.