April 1, 2019

The new standards from CAP and BCAP come into force on 1 April 2019. They:

• prohibit online ads for gambling products being targeted at groups of individuals who are likely to be under 18 based on data about their online interests and browsing behaviour;
• extensively list unacceptable types of content, including certain types of animated characters, licensed characters from movies or TV and sportspeople and celebrities that are likely to be of particular appeal to children, and references to youth culture;
• prohibit the use in gambling ads of sportspersons, celebrities or other characters who are or appear to be under 25; and
• add to existing guidance on the responsible targeting of ads, covering all media (including social networks and other online platforms).

CAP says that gambling ads are a continuing area of focus for the Advertising Standards Authority. CAP warns that marketers of gambling services need to be up to date on the standards expected and be aware that particular care should be taken in online environments.

When using social media, marketers need to ensure that they have used the tools available to ensure ads do not get served to under-18s or accounts and profiles that have interests or behaviours that suggest the individual might be under 18.

CAP says that marketers also need to be careful about ads in social media and online games. These should not be used to promote real-money gambling to under-18s and where they contain ads, those ads must comply with placement restrictions. To read CAP’s press release in full and for a link to the new standards, click here.