Sports betting: ban on the use of sports people in advertisements in the United Kingdom

British sports betting operators will no longer be able to use footballers "with a considerable following among under-18 on social media" in their UK advertisements, announced the UK Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) and the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) on 05/04/2022.

The UK regulator has also banned "references to video game content and gameplay popular with under-18s" (within gambling advertisements). These provisions will come into force on 01/10/2022, just before the 2022 World Cup in Qatar from 21/11 to 18/12/2022.

According to the Committee these "tough new rules for gambling ads" are part of a "commitment to safeguarding young people and vulnerable audiences. The new rules state that gambling and lottery ads must not be likely to be of strong appeal to children or young persons, especially by reflecting or being associated with youth culture. These rules will significantly impact gambling advertisers looking to promote their brands using prominent sports people and celebrities as well as individuals like social media influencers, who are of strong appeal to…