The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has closed the door on the loophole which would allow advertising restrictions to be more lenient if the platform was registered outside of the UK.
From the beginning of September all gambling operators that have a UK license must follow suit with the same standard of advertising regardless of where they are based. This includes content such as: company website and apps, companies using “.uk” web addresses, paid adverts targeting UK bettors and social media posts aimed at UK Consumers.
Until September betting companies that were registered in places such as Malta or Gibraltar like Bet365, Flutter Entertainment and Entain were able to find loopholes around certain rules, especially unpaid social media marketing.
Why has there been a change?
The ASA wanted to make a more consistent approach which would protect UK players across the gambling market.
The regulator quoted “This ensures social media posts and other ads from overseas operators are held to the same standards as UK-based ones,”
The licensed operators are required to follow the CAP Code which the UK Gambling Commission sets out the advertising rules.
What Is The Next Stage?
The ASA is asking for feedback on the change until the 1st December when it will then review the changes. The change only applies to businesses in the gambling sector and it will not affect non-UK addresses from other industries.
Reaction From Experts
Dr. Raffaello Rossi who is from the University of Bristol, has campaigned for stricter gambling ad rules, said the change implemented was “long overdue.”
“For years, gambling brands could avoid UK social media rules by registering abroad. Closing this loophole is an important step for consumer protection,” he stressed.