The UKs Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has commanded LeoVegas to retract a radio commercial promoting its BetUK sports betting service. The ASA has judged the advertisement “irresponsible” and potentially appealing to minors.
The ASA concluded that the advertisement, which was broadcast in September 2023, breached the BCAP code due to its possible allure to those under the age of 18. The commercial showcased retired soccer player Adebayo Akinfenwa, who discussed his role as a BetUK brand representative and emphasized various safe gambling tools accessible to BetUK players, including deposit restrictions, reality checks, and timeouts. He also urged players to “always gamble responsibly with BetUK.” However, the ASA received a grievance questioning whether the advertisement featured a figure with strong appeal to children. LeoVegas and BetUK dismissed the grievance, asserting they did not believe the advertisement would appeal to those under 18. They argued that Akinfenwa, at 41 years old and retired, was unlikely to be popular with children. They also added that Akinfenwa spent his career in lower leagues, never reaching the top tier Premier League, making the advertisement’s appeal to under-18s potentially low.
In addition to the realm of football, BetUK indicated that Akinfenwa’s public persona suggests he might not have a strong attraction to youngsters. The company also mentioned his apparel line, which lacks any items associated with children.
On platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X, TikTok, and Snapchat, Akinfenwa has a presence. On Instagram, 8% of his followers are under 18, while on Snapchat, this figure is 18%. Facebook, Twitter/X, and TikTok do not disclose age statistics.
BetUK further asserted that the advertisement lacked any content with a childish tone. It was also broadcast during a radio program likely to appeal to a mature audience. Radiocentre, the commercial arm of the BBC, supported BetUK in this matter.
**ASA Upholds Complaint**
However, despite this response, the ASA upheld the complaint, citing the BCAP code. This code stipulates that marketing communications targeting gambling should not be likely to have a strong attraction to children or young people. Advertisements should also not feature individuals or characters that could appeal to those under 18.
The ASA acknowledged that Akinfenwa plays outside the top leagues, and BCAP guidelines categorize such players as “low risk.” Nevertheless, the agency added that the player could be considered “medium risk” due to his social and other media image. Based on this, the ASA stated that Akinfenwa could appeal to children.
The ASA, in further elaborating on its decision, mentioned Akinfenwa’s broader image.
This encompasses his fame resulting from his physical prowess, which made him the most powerful player in numerous editions of the FIFA video game, enjoyed by young people.
The ASA declared, “We are of the opinion that his media presence, and the way he promotes himself, will lead some football enthusiasts to perceive him as a cult figure in the sport.”
“As a result, we believe that his media image, and what we consider to be an unusually high level of renown for a former lower division player, will place him in the ‘medium risk’ category of the guidelines.”
Social media worry
Regarding his social media presence, based on data provided by BetUK, there is a considerable number of followers under the age of 18 on Instagram and Snapchat, suggesting that at least 157,000 fans were under 18 at the time.
The BCAP guidelines state, “Generally, a large number of social media followers, attracting a substantial number of under-18s, which can be determined through quantitative or qualitative analysis, is likely to be deemed an indicator of ‘strong’ appeal.” The ASA stated this applies to Akinfenwa.
“We believe that over 157,000 under-18s, with the actual number likely to be greater due to a lack of data from other social media platforms, is a substantial number in absolute terms,” the ASA said.
While Akinfenwa, as a player in the lower divisions of football, falls within the “medium risk” category regarding his public image, we believe he fits into the “high risk” category due to his professional and personal image. He has a significant number of followers under the age of 18 on social media, making him highly attractive to young people.
The Advertising Standards Authority decided that the advertisement broke the UK Advertising Standards Code (12th Edition) sections 17.4 and 17.4.5 concerning gambling.
As a result, the advertisement should not be shown again in its present form. The ASA also requests that LeoVegas Gaming and BetUK avoid using individuals or characters that are highly appealing to minors in any future advertisements.
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