ASA upholds BetVictor paid ad verdict

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has upheld a previous verdict against BV Gaming trading as BetVictor in the United Kingdom. The advertisement regulator considered the appeal of the sports betting and gaming company, which contested a previous ruling by the watchdog targeting one of its social media ads.

The company contended that ASA had unfairly taken enforcement action against a paid-for Facebook ad that appeared in January 2023. In the ad, BetVictor used a custom image of Jordi Alba and SergioBusquets, who are soccer players from FCBarcelona, a Spanish club. The text of the image said: "Who is the most underrated player at the club you support" with the "BetVictor" logo also present in the image.

ASA responded almost immediately, arguing that BetVictor had breached its Committees of Advertising Practice (CAP) code. The breach had to do with the fact that Alba and Busquets were likely to have a strong appeal to individuals under the age of 18. BetVictor chose to contest this ruling and presented a lengthy argument of its own why it believed the ruling was wrong.

The company essentially explained that while FC Barcelona was a top-flight soccer club, the players that were involved in the ad were handpicked so that they do not appeal to audiences in the United Kingdom. BetVictor went into great detail to explain its process, arguing that Alba and Busquets were generally not known to soccer fans and audiences in the United Kingdom, unlike other soccer stars, such as Mbappé, Messi, Ronaldo, Mane, or Benzema.

BetVictor further explained that neither of the players had played in games against Wales or England. The operator explained that while these players appeared in the World Cup in 2012 and then the European Cup in 2012, any players who may have seen those events would now be over 18.

Neither player had any high-value or personal sponsorship deal with a major brand in the UK that would make their faces known. In addition, the two players mostly stuck to Twitter and Instagram, and the ad was shared on Facebook. Neither of the players had followers from the United Kingdom as the one of the top five countries in terms of fans on social media either.

However, ASA reaffirmed its previous ruling, arguing that any marketing communication by a gambling company must not contain personalities that could likely hold a strong appeal with individuals under the age of 18. Therefore, the ad could not appear in its current form. Specifically, ASA noted that the advertisement breached CAP Code 16.1, 16.3, and 16.3.12, which specifically pertain to gambling.

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