Autoridades of Reino Unido banned two advertisements running on Instagram, featuring renowned football stars Harry Kane and Erling Haaland. The country’s advertising regulator, Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), classified the pieces as “irresponsible”, a move that reflects growing concern about the exposure of minors to online betting content. Esta decision marks an important step in the oversight of digital advertising in sport.
The ASA justified the ban by stating that the players have a “strong appeal to under-18s”, which constitutes a direct violation of the current advertising code for the sector. Embora and Oddschecker, the company responsible for publishing the images, claimed that the content was mainly editorial in nature and that the account had been configured to be accessed only by those over 18 years of age, the regulatory authority refuted this defense. The agency highlighted that a “significant number of children” use false birth dates when registering on digital platforms such as Instagram, making the platform’s age restrictions insufficient to guarantee protection.
Apelo to minors and violation of the code
Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) strengthened its position by considering public figures such as Harry Kane and Erling Haaland, with their vast fan bases and great popularity among young audiences, as posing a high risk for the indirect promotion of gambling. The measure aims to protect children and adolescents from the influence of betting advertising campaigns, even those that are intentionally aimed at adult audiences. The guidance is clear about companies’ responsibility to ensure their ads do not inadvertently target vulnerable demographic groups, especially on broad-reaching social media.
The ASA’s decision emphasizes the importance of strict control over advertising content on digital platforms, where age barriers can easily be circumvented. The entity concluded that the posts were irresponsible for not adequately preventing access by minors, despite the age settings on Oddschecker’s account. Este ruling highlights the complexity of regulating online advertising. The investigation was initiated following a formal complaint from an Universidade researcher of Bristol.
Conteúdo from banned ads
The two advertisements that generated the controversy presented betting statistics involving athletes, seeking to attract users to the Oddschecker website. Ambos explored players’ popularity and expected performance in future competitions. The nature of the advertisements, despite the defense that they were “editorial”, was crucial to the ASA’s assessment.
The vetoed ads displayed specific information:
- An image of Harry Kane with the caption: “Harry Kane is the player with the most bets to beat Ouro’s Bola in 2026 (32% of bets)”, accompanied by a trophy emoji.
- Outra image, by Erling Haaland, with the caption: “In the last 24 hours, Noruega beating Copa of Mundo of 2026 is the most bet made through oddschecker.”
Essas messages, even if factual about betting trends, were interpreted by the ASA as indirectly promoting gambling. The association of sports idols with this type of content is seen as a significant risk factor for underage audiences, impacting perception and interest in betting activities.
Defesa and reiteration of the decision
Cyan Blue Odds Ltd, the company that operates Oddschecker, defended itself by arguing that the posts in question should be seen as editorial in nature, and not as traditional advertising, thus justifying the absence of age warnings or messages about responsible gaming. The company recognized the potential attraction that great football players have on children and stated that it had configured its account on Instagram so that only people over 18 could view the content. However, the ASA did not accept this argument and maintained its decision.
The regulatory authority rejected the defense by reiterating that Kane and Haaland pose a “high risk of strong appeal to under-18s”. Essa analysis led to the definitive conclusion that the ads were irresponsible and violated the established code of conduct. The decision reinforces that the simple age setting does not exempt advertisers from the responsibility of avoiding reaching vulnerable audiences, requiring a more robust approach to protecting minors.
Comparativo with other ASA reviews
The ASA also conducted another investigation involving betting advertising featuring a football player, but with a different outcome. Neste case, an advertisement for Betway displayed a photograph of former Arsenal striker and current analyst, Thierry Henry. The assessment was different, demonstrating nuances in the agency’s analyses.
The regulatory authority concluded that Thierry Henry, due to his current profile as an analyst and the length of time since his retirement as a professional player, was unlikely to appeal strongly to those under 18, unlike active athletes such as Kane and Haaland. For this reason, the specific advertisement with Henry did not violate the agency’s rules. Essa distinction demonstrates that the ASA analyzes each case individually, considering the profile, career stage and current influence of the athletes in question on younger audiences, to determine compliance with advertising standards.