The UK Advertising Standards Authority has been monitoring gambling adverts at an unprecedented scale since the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicked off on 11 June.
The regulator scanned over 13,000 marketing campaigns in under a month, reflecting the enormous volume of gambling activity surrounding the tournament.
Continuous improvements to the ASA’s monitoring capabilities have made it possible to keep pace with the growing number of gambling adverts targeting UK audiences during the competition.
Technological advancements in Artificial Intelligence have allowed the ASA to significantly enhance its Active Ad Monitoring system over the past 12 months.
“We are now monitoring over 10,000 online paid ads by UK-licensed gambling operators every month, and using AI to check each of these against the complete set of gambling rules in the Advertising code,” the ASA stated.
A complex network of AI tools built on top of Large Language Models such as ChatGPT and Gemini helps deliver constant regulatory monitoring in the backend, flagging potential issues with gambling ads.
The system also cross-checks previous ASA rulings in similar cases to pinpoint exact violations, adding a layer of legal precedent to the automated process.
Potential breaches identified by the system are then reviewed by the ASA’s team of gambling experts on a case-by-case basis to determine whether further action is warranted.
The most recent UK licence holder to fall foul of the monitoring system is Mr Vegas, which was cautioned by the ASA over a number of iGaming ads on Facebook.
“Our Active Ad Monitoring system will keep scanning ads through the rest of the tournament and beyond,” the regulator said, adding that it will continue working with the gambling industry to ensure compliance.
While the ASA’s work with licensed operators has delivered clear value to the regulated gambling sector, significant concern remains around the proliferation of illegal gambling advertisements online.
Social media platforms like Facebook continue to host marketing from unlicensed companies such as Stake, Rainbet, and prediction market operators like Polymarket, sometimes without even disclosing them as paid advertising.
The ASA’s remit is ultimately limited to what can be regulated and enforced within its jurisdiction, leaving wider enforcement gaps that the Gambling Commission has consistently raised for over a year.
With major technology companies appearing reluctant to take decisive action against black market operators nesting on their platforms, a clear and lasting solution to illegal gambling advertising remains elusive.
