ASA ruling against betting company William Hill

The Advertising Standards Authority (‘ASA’) upheld a complaint against WHG (International) Ltd t/a William Hill Online (‘William Hill’). The in-app add promoted an offer for the game ‘Marble Race Live’. The headline of the ad stated “Enjoy £40 on us! When you opt in and stake £20” and the fine print disclaimed “Min. £40 stake on Marble Race Live”.

A complaint challenged that the headline was misleading as they would later understand that a minimum stake of £40 was required.  William Hill argued that their banner displayed incorrect wording and that it was a typographical error.

The ASA upheld the complaint as the headline indicated that a minimum stake of £20 would be sufficient when it would not be. The ASA also considered that by introducing a higher staking requirement as a qualifying condition, the qualification contradicted rather than clarified the headline of the claim.

In April 2025, the ASA released its guidance on the use of qualifications in ads to assist businesses in making these types of claims.