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An advertisement for BetUK starring former football player Adebayo Akinfenwa garnered notice in September 2023—not because of its substance, but rather because of its purported appeal to under-18s. Even though Akinfenwa made a point of encouraging responsible gaming, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) received a complaint about the advertisement’s possible attraction to children.
In their prompt response to the complaint, LeoVegas and BetUK denied that the advertising could have any attraction for those under the age of eighteen. They highlighted Akinfenwa’s 41 years of age and his retirement from football, claiming that this would make him less appealing to younger audiences. To further lessen his attractiveness to younger viewers, they also highlighted his career in lesser league football, away from the dominant Premier League.
BetUK also highlighted Akinfenwa’s wider media exposure and his apparel line, which is free of anything geared at children. Despite Akinfenwa’s widespread social media presence, BetUK said that the advertisement was not intended for minors and was played during adult-oriented radio programming. Radiocentre, the commercial organization representing UK radio stations, agreed with this position.
Despite the robust response from LeoVegas and BetUK, the ASA upheld the complaint, citing the BCAP Code’s stipulation against marketing communications likely to appeal to children or young persons. While acknowledging Akinfenwa’s classification as a “low-risk” personality due to his football career, the ASA raised concerns about his potential appeal to minors, especially considering his significant social media following among under-18s.
The ASA highlighted in its decision the combined impact of Akinfenwa’s media prominence and his sizeable under-18 social media following—more than 157,000 on Instagram and Snapchat alone—on the platform. The ASA classified him as a “high-risk” celebrity in terms of attraction to under-18s due to this and his portrayal as a “cult hero” in the FIFA video game series.
As a result, the ASA declared that the advertising violated the BCAP Code and directed LeoVegas Gaming and BetUK to stop using people or characters in any future advertisements who are likely to appeal to those under the age of eighteen.
The decision should serve as a lesson to casino advertising, emphasizing the need for diligence in guaranteeing adherence to regulatory guidelines in order to protect susceptible audiences.