ASA ruling on online betting platform

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) upheld a complaint that an advertisement for a betting platform breached the code as it featured an individual who was likely to appeal to under-18s.

The ads were both in the form of Instagram posts and featured images of footballers Harry Kane and Erling Haaland. They then featured text of world cup odds, such as “In the last 24 hours, Norway to win the 2026 World Cup is the most backed bet placed through Oddschecker. […] Their price has shortened to a general 50/1 but there is still 80/1 available with a couple of bookmakers… [eyes emoji]”.

Cyan Blue Odds Ltd t/a Oddschecker stated that the posts were editorial rather than ads based on the posts format, tone, and context and this is why the age disclaimer message was not included. They also added that they implemented account-level measures to restrict access to adults and to make the account’s intended audience clear.

ASA considered that the purpose of both posts was to promote the placing of a bet through Oddscheck and therefore the posts were considered ads. The Code states that marketing communications for gambling products must not be of strong appeal to children or young persons and must not include a person or character whose example was likely to be followed by those aged under 18 years, or who had strong appeal to those aged under 18. Based on an Ofcom report from May 2025 it was established that a large number of Instagram users are under 18 and therefore the ads were irresponsible and breached the code.