Britains advertising regulatory body, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), recently criticized gambling company bet365 for a social media promotion featuring footballer Granit Xhaka. The advertisement, displaying footage of Xhaka scoring against Manchester United, was considered irresponsible due to its potential allure to young audiences.
The ASA expressed specific apprehension regarding the utilization of vibrant visuals and the advertisement’s overall style, which they believed would appeal to underage viewers. Although bet365 maintained that they implemented age limitations and that Xhaka himself does not hold a significant appeal to children, the ASA argued that by promoting the tweet, bet365 was essentially giving their approval to its content. This situation emphasizes the continuous challenge of guaranteeing that gambling promotions do not reach susceptible demographics, particularly in the current digital landscape.
The United Kingdom’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) prohibited a promotional piece from bet365 that featured Granit Xhaka due to its potential allure to a youthful demographic. The ASA pointed to Xhaka’s fame as a celebrated footballer for both Arsenal and the Swiss national squad, suggesting he could significantly attract viewers below the legal gambling age. Furthermore, they censured bet365’s parent company, Hillside, for depending on self-reported age confirmation methods that were easily circumvented. The ASA determined the advertisement breached regulations and directed Hillside to cease employing personalities or visuals that hold a strong appeal to individuals under 18 years old in its gambling-related advertising materials.