The UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ruled this week that two posts published on Instagram by Oddschecker violated gambling advertising rules and must be removed. The two posts featured England captain Harry Kane and Norwegian forward Haaland, involving betting data, and were deemed to have "strong appeal" to minors. PASA's official website noted that within the same week, ASA did not support complaints against Betway's Thierry Henry advertisement—both are football stars, so why the different outcomes?
Editorial content or gambling advertisement? ASA decides
In November 2025, Oddschecker posted two posts on its OddscheckerTV Instagram account: one showcasing Kane, with the caption "Kane is the most bet player for the 2026 Ballon d'Or, accounting for 32% of total bets"; another featuring Haaland, mentioning "Norway is the most bet team for the 2026 World Cup," and marked with shortened odds and higher prices from some betting companies. The complaint was raised by a researcher from the University of Bristol, who believed that using high-profile football players would strongly attract minors and could encourage young people to participate in gambling. Oddschecker's defense was that these posts were editorial comments rather than direct advertisements, thus not subject to gambling advertising rules—including the obligation to display age statements and social responsibility information. The company also emphasized that its Instagram account had an 18+ age restriction, and the bio stated that the content was intended for adults. However, ASA disagreed. The regulator determined: 1. The posts appeared in a non-paid space controlled by Oddschecker; 2. Explicitly referenced betting volumes and betting company odds; 3. Seemed to encourage users to place bets through the Oddschecker platform—thus constituting marketing communication of gambling services, subject to CAP Code gambling advertising rules.
Data speaks: Over half of minors active on Instagram, platform age verification is virtually ineffective
ASA cited research data on contemporary adolescent social media use: **52% of 13-15 year olds and76%** of 16-17 year olds frequently use Instagram (Ofcom data); a large number of users under 18 claim to be over 18 when registering, easily bypassing platform age restrictions; Instagram's verification method mainly relies on self-declared age plus emerging AI checks, which are not robust enough to prevent minors from accessing. In terms of content appeal, ASA emphasized the high profile of the two players and their significant influence on young people, determining that using these figures in gambling-related posts was "irresponsible." ASA ordered Cyan Blue Odds Ltd not to reuse these posts in their current form and warned that future gambling advertising content must not include individuals or characters with strong appeal to minors.
Same week, different fate: Why did the Henry advertisement pass?
In stark contrast, ASA did not support complaints against a Betway Instagram post that week. The post promoted an interview with Betway global ambassador Henry, discussing Arsenal's prospects, showcasing the Betway brand, responsible gambling signage, 18+ symbol, and GambleAware reference. Betway argued that Henry's influence was skewed towards an older audience—he had retired and was currently a commentator for CBS Sports in the US, and provided data showing a very low proportion of his Instagram followers in the UK were under 18. ASA recognized that Henry's current image and limited exposure in UK youth media meant he was unlikely to have "strong appeal" to UK minors. Simply put, a retired legend turned commentator and a current star player are not on the same level in the eyes of regulators in terms of appeal to minors. Meanwhile, the scrutiny of UK gambling advertising continues to intensify—lawmakers recently characterized gambling advertising as a "health issue," and an APPG report suggested implementing a comprehensive ban before 9 pm. The Oddschecker post was just one move in this larger game.
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This article is from "PASA-Global iGaming Leaders," a gambling industry news channel:https://t.me/pasa_news
Gambling original deep channel:https://t.me/gamblingdeep
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PASA Matrix: @pasa002_bot
PASA official website: https://www.pasa.news
