UK ad committee updates rules for lottery advertising

The Committee on Advertising Practice has updated two sections of its code.

UK.- The Committee on Advertising Practice (CAP) has updated two sections of its code for lottery advertising in order to clarify rules designed to avoid the targeting of lottery products at under-25s. The committee says that adverts must not feature people who are or who seem to be under 25.

The CAP says that this is not a change but rather a clarification since the rules apply to all gambling advertising in general. However, the CAP stressed that this includes lottery. It also emphasised that the rule is not only a ban on people who are actually under 25 but on anyone who could be perceived as under 25.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) said that it “sometimes considers cases where actors who are over 25 appear to be very young for their age and might contravene the restriction”.

When it comes to the advertising of scratch cards and online instant-win products, the CAP says that they must not feature under-25s “in a prominent role”. It’s allowing more flexibility for advertising charity lotteries, allowing them to feature under 25s so long as they feature in the context of charity fundraising rather than in a way that encourages under 25s to make a purchase.

This includes the use of under-25s who may be “representatives of the primary beneficiaries of the lottery”, and if the lottery specifically benefits under-25s or families. The exemption is made because the CAP decided that it “would be unreasonable” to prohibit a lottery operator from depicting beneficiaries such as a children’s hospice or young people’s sports initiative.

The ASA aims to reduce the appeal of gambling products to under 25s. It recently banned several gambling adverts and posts for breaching new rules against appealing to young people. That includes two bans against posts by Ladbrokes, one featuring Jake Paul and another two posts featuring football managers.