UK Tightens Rules for Gambling Ads to Strike Better Balance for Youth Protection
Trends
So, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) and Committees of Advertising Practice (CAP / BCAP) have rolled out updated gambling-ad guidance (as of 14 October 2025) that sharpen the rules about how gambling companies can advertise — particularly when it comes to appeals to under-18s.
These aren’t just minor tweaks. They clarify and reinforce previous standards (like those from 2022) and add more guardrails around content, who gets featured, and how ads are targeted.
What’s New & What’s Changing
- Strong Appeal Test gets stricter
The updated guidance stresses that advertising must not have content that’s “likely to be of strong appeal to children or young persons.” CAP is making it clearer what qualifies: things like influencers, footballers, esports, sport-themed content, animation etc., especially when these personalities have large followings under age 18. - Influencers / public figures are under the microscope
If someone in an ad has a big audience of under-18s, they might be off-limits. CAP gives the example of a threshold (100,000 under-18 followers across platforms) as an indicator in many cases. Even imagery, themes, or characters that resonate strongly with younger audiences are tested. - Over-25 rule reinforced
Continuing the trend, people under 25 (or who appear under 25) generally can’t feature in gambling ads in a “significant role”. It isn’t new, but this guidance reaffirms and clarifies this. - Generic sport imagery still allowed
Things like stylized depictions (balls, stadiums, arenas), generic references to sport, operator branding, etc., are still OK — as long as they don’t feature personalities appealing to minors. The idea is: show the sport, not the stars. - Targeting & verification go deeper
Advertisers will need to consider audience demographics across all platforms, not just the platform the ad is placed on. Age filters, usage of verified customer areas, and ensuring that ads are not seen by minors are more crucial than ever.
Why This Matters for iGaming & Affiliates
- If you’re an operator, you’ll want to re-look at every ad, piece of content, influencer collaboration. Even if something “felt safe” before, it might now push past the line under the new rules. Missteps could lead to complaints, ad pull-downs, or regulatory action.
- For affiliates, it’s a signal: the brands that already comply — with transparent practices, careful targeting, and responsible messaging — will have an edge. It may mean fewer flashy campaigns involving young public figures, but more value in credibility and long-term brand trust.
- The cost of non-compliance could rise: broken ads, reputational damage, maybe even fines. So better to be conservative and cautious.
- On the flip side, ad creativity will adapt. Generic imagery, clever non-celebrity content, clean designs, safe messaging might become more common. Those who innovate within the rules will win attention without risking breaches.
My Takeaways
- The UK is pushing even harder to ensure gambling advertising is adult-oriented in both content and audience.
- The “strong appeal to youth” standard isn’t just vague anymore — it’s being tested more strictly, with clearer definitions and thresholds.
- Brands and affiliates who lean into responsibility likely score long term in trust, fewer regulatory headaches, and maybe better loyalty from users who care about ethics.
- If you’re working in markets influenced by UK regulation or similar ones (many EU jurisdictions for example), this probably foreshadows what might come: stricter guidance, more transparency, more checks.
