Posted on: February 9, 2023, 11:04h.
Last updated on: February 9, 2023, 11:19h.
Last October, the UK’s advertising watchdog, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), updated its guidelines to make sure gambling ads didn’t appeal to young people. The rules have been put to the test a couple of times already, but the agency has now rejected complaints that Paddy Power and Sky Bet broke them in recent marketing campaigns.
As of October 1, 2022, gambling and lottery operators had to make sure their customer-facing marketing efforts weren’t “likely to appeal strongly to children and young people.” The ASA included a list of examples of what it deemed as appealing to the groups, including the use of athletes and other high-profile figures as promotional props.
However, the use of certain retired athletes would be acceptable. This was, in the ASA’s estimation, because these didn’t hold the same attractiveness to the younger generations, and sportsbooks took notice of the fine line.
Paddy Power Counts on Crouch
Paddy Power tapped former striker Peter Crouch to appear in a couple of the operator’s spots last November. The striker and Premier League record holder – he has the most headed goals in the league’s history – was picked up for two TV commercials ahead of Christmas, as well as other promotional campaigns.
However, someone complained to the ASA about his appearance and the watchdog had to investigate. It was a dead-end, though, with the agency reporting the complaint lacked substance.
Paddy Power argued that Crouch, who retired from soccer in 2019, didn’t have a lot of appeal with children. In a response to the ASA following the initial complaint, it reminded the agency that athletes were free game, provided they had been away from the sport for a long time.
The ASA agreed, adding that Crouch’s primary soccer clubs, Stoke City and Burnley, weren’t significant enough on the international soccer stage to be a threat. It also determined that the complaint was without merit because the 41-year-old Crouch has a low profile on social media. Since he doesn’t actively use platforms like “TikTok, Facebook, or Twitch,” he wouldn’t be seen by younger people, according to the ASA.
In addition, where Crouch has been active, he’s focused on his Brewdog beer brand. Therefore, his content is adult-oriented and his appearance in the Paddy Power ads wouldn’t make children want to gamble.
Sky Bet Mics Up Micah
Just a day after the ASA implemented the change, Sky Bet called on Micah Richards to push its sports betting activity. His image appeared in a tweet discussing free bets, resulting in two complaints making their way to the ASA.
Richards spent 10 years with Man City (one on loan to Italy’s Fiorentina) and five with Aston Villa. He retired in 2019 and moved to the analyst’s booth, becoming an announcer for Sky Sports and BBC Sport.
The 34-year-old is also a Man City ambassador, and has appeared in numerous soccer TV programs. Because these were broadcast mostly in the late evening, the ASA said they wouldn’t have attracted a lot of younger viewers.
He’s active on social media, but the content mostly targets adult Netizens. The watchdog concluded that this meant that children wouldn’t regularly access his feeds or channels.
Sky Bet responded in a similar fashion as Paddy Power, arguing that Richards doesn’t have the same celebrity status as some newer athletes. Therefore, he couldn’t be someone whose image would influence younger people to want to wager on sports.
The ASA then tossed out the complaints against both operators. Now that they have the green light, Paddy Power and Sky Bet will likely call on their stars more often to pitch their products.
