The Advertising Standards Authority has announced it will use artificial intelligence to identify gambling advertisements deemed to have “strong appeal” to under-18s.
The Committee of Advertising Practice updated its guidance back in October 2025, clarifying what content would breach CAP Code 16.3.12 by appealing to young people.
Despite that updated guidance, the ASA found that non-compliant ads were still appearing on social media platforms, prompting the decision to take further action.
From 11 June, the ASA’s Active Ad Monitoring system will conduct a sweep of social media to identify any offending gambling advertisements still in circulation.
The Gambling Commission has issued a supporting statement alongside the ASA’s announcement, promising “tough action, including fines” for operators found in serious or repeated breach of the rules.
The AI-powered monitoring system will operate in partnership with social media platforms, capturing ads and filtering them through machine learning models configured to detect problematic content.
Flagged ads will then be passed on for expert human review before any enforcement action is taken against operators.
Nick Johnson, partner at Osborne Clarke, described the approach as the regulator “fighting fire with fire” given the growing role of AI in ad creation and distribution.
Johnson said: “As AI increases the volume and variety of online ads, so enforcement agencies like the ASA and Gambling Commission need to rely more heavily on AI to flag potential non-compliance.”
Beyond identifying existing breaches, the notice is also intended to deter operators from publishing any further ads likely to carry strong appeal to under-18s going forward.
Operators currently running live ads that could fall foul of the rules have been advised to amend or withdraw them immediately.
The question of what constitutes strong appeal to under-18s remains a contested and subjective area, but recent ASA rulings do provide some guidance for operators seeking clarity.
Several cases investigated over the past year have specifically concerned the use of footballer images and likenesses in gambling marketing materials.
Thierry Henry, Erling Haaland, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Harry Kane have all had their images used in gambling promotions that subsequently attracted complaints to the ASA.
Of all those cases, only Betway’s use of Thierry Henry in a gambling advertisement was ultimately cleared by the regulator.
Complaints against Oddschecker over its use of images of Kane and Haaland, and against Midnite over its use of Trent Alexander-Arnold, were both upheld.
Henry, aged 48, was considered lower risk because he is currently better known as a television pundit rather than an active professional footballer.
Johnson has highlighted the significance of the statement’s timing, with the World Cup now less than a week away and operator competition for customers set to intensify sharply.
UK-licensed operators planning to use current footballers in World Cup promotions will likely need to reconsider those strategies carefully in light of the ASA’s enforcement push.
The combination of AI-driven monitoring and the prospect of Gambling Commission fines means operators face considerably higher stakes this tournament than in previous years.
