Gambling companies have once again been found wanting after two separate campaigns featuring F1 driver Lewis Hamilton and the Chelsea FC logo have been banned over claims they were likely to have strong appeal to children.
First in the dock was Betway, which ran an ad on YouTube promoting a competition that featured football fans wearing clothing and scarves with the Chelsea FC logo.
A single complainant challenged whether, by featuring such imagery, the ad was likely to appeal to under-18s, and therefore breached the Code, triggering an investigation by the Advertising Standards Authority.
In its defence, Betway said the ad was targeted at logged-in YouTube users aged 25+ with relevant interests, in keeping with the current rules, while YouTube’s own ad policies offered further safeguards against under-18s being exposed to age-restricted content.
The company also stated that if the ad were found to be in breach of the Code it could set a damaging precedent for gambling sponsorships in sport. Betway described the responsible marketing controls it had in place across its sponsorship arrangements, which included its own code of conduct that explicitly prohibited the use of players or managers in ads and clarified that logos were allowed.
However, the ASA was having none of it, insisting that YouTube was an unsuitable platform for the ad, as brands could not guarantee that their content would exclude under-18 viewers.
“It was likely that there was at least a significant number of children who had not used their real date of birth when signing up to YouTube,” ASA said, and banned the ad from appearing again in that form.
For its part, Chelsea said it will work with all its partners to ensure it complies with standards and practices across the industry. A spokesperson added: “Our collaboration with Betway was no exception and both parties believed the content of this advertisement was fully compliant and adhered to all guidelines.”
Meanwhile, a separate Kwiff’s post on X in July promoted the British Grand Prix with Lewis Hamilton’s picture.
The complainant in this case, who was a researcher from the University of Bristol, challenged whether the ad included an individual who was likely to be of strong appeal to under-18s and therefore breached the Code.
Eaton Gate Gaming, which owns the Kiff brand, argued that its data indicated that Hamilton appealed to an older audience rather than those aged under 18. The post was meant to drive traffic to its company blog, which was an “editorial commentary” on a website separate from its gambling platform.
Once again, the watchdog was unconvinced, insisting that Hamilton was a notable star within the sport, with a significant public profile and social media following. It also cited Hamilton’s 150,000 Instagram followers who were under 18 and based in the UK as a sign of his appeal among youths.
In addition, Hamilton had appeared in the F1 24 video game – which had an age rating of three years old and above – and was a storyteller on a programme aired by the BBC’s CBeebies last year.
“As such, we considered that Kwiff would have been aware of the possibility that Sir Lewis Hamilton would have strong appeal to under-18s,” it added.
Banning the ad from appearing again, the ASA went on to warn Kwiff over future activity.
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