Gambling ads under 18 appeal rule

What the gambling ads under 18 appeal rule says

The wording is short: gambling marketing must not be likely to be of strong appeal to children or young persons. In the advertising codes, ‘children’ means people under 16 and ‘young persons’ means 16- and 17-year-olds, so the rule protects everyone below the legal gambling age of 18. It applies to non-broadcast advertising through CAP Code section 16 and to TV and radio through the matching BCAP rule, and it covers casinos, bookmakers, bingo, lotteries and anyone promoting them.

The rule has been in force since 1 October 2022. It sits within the wider set of UK gambling advertising rules, which in turn connect to the Gambling Commission’s licence conditions. You can find every related rule, with dates, on our UK casino rules hub.

Strong appeal vs particular appeal: what changed in 2022

Before October 2022 the test was ‘particular appeal’. An ad broke the rule only if it appealed more to under-18s than to adults. That left a large loophole: a famous footballer adored by teenagers could still appear in a betting ad, because adults admired him at least as much. The new test removes the comparison. If content is likely to strongly attract under-18s, it fails, however much adults like it too.

How the ASA judges strong appeal to under-18s

The ASA’s advice on betting and gaming ads and appeal to children (opens in a new tab) sets out what it weighs when a person, character or theme features in a gambling ad:

1. Whether the person or character has obvious, direct links to activities made for, or popular with, under-18s.
2. How popular they and the thing they are known for are with young audiences.
3. Whether including them is likely to strongly attract the attention or interest of under-18s.
4. The audience of the ad and the social media following of anyone featured.

A crucial point is that an ad can break the rule even where children are unlikely to see it. Placement matters for other parts of the code, but the content test stands alone. The ASA’s under-18s guidance for gambling and lotteries advertising (opens in a new tab), updated on 14 October 2025, groups content into higher, moderate and lower risk to help advertisers decide.

Examples of high-risk and low-risk content in gambling ads

The categories below summarise the kinds of content the ASA’s guidance and rulings treat as risky or acceptable. Each case still turns on its facts.

A worked example helps. Imagine a slot advert built around a cheerful cartoon piglet, bright primary colours and the tagline ‘Oink your way to a prize’. Even if the slot itself is played only by verified adults, the creative relies on imagery that strongly attracts young children. Under the 2022 test that is almost certainly a breach. Replace the piglet with a plain reel display, a clear 18+ message and the stake and RTP details, and the same game can be promoted without the problem.

The under-25 rule: who can appear in gambling adverts

A separate rule, CAP 16.3.14, says nobody who is or seems to be under 25 may be shown gambling or play a significant role in a gambling advert. Its purpose is to stop advertisers using youthful-looking models that younger viewers might identify with. There is one narrow exception: people aged 18 to 24 can feature in adverts on an operator’s own website or app where a bet can be placed, typically to show a sports team line-up next to the relevant market.

The two rules work together. 16.3.12 looks at whether the whole ad would attract under-18s; 16.3.14 controls the age of the people in it. An ad featuring a 23-year-old influencer could breach both: the second because of the person’s age, and the first if that influencer has a large teenage following.

Targeting, age-gating and casino websites

Where an ad appears is controlled by other rules in section 16: gambling ads must not be directed at under-18s through the media they choose. Age-gating can reduce risk, which is why a promotional email sent only to verified adult customers is treated differently from an open social media post. The ASA has said that the content exception is unlikely to help where a robust under-18 block isn’t in place.

Licensed casinos add their own barriers. They must verify your age and identity before you deposit or gamble, and since May 2019 even free-to-play demo games have been locked until you pass those checks. Our pages on casino age verification and the free demo games rule explain the checks, and can I gamble online at 18? covers the age limits for different products.

Why the under-18 appeal rule was tightened

The change followed long-running concern about how often children encountered gambling brands through sport, social media and influencers. The Gambling Commission publishes regular research on children’s awareness of and exposure to gambling, including its Young People and Gambling 2025 statistics (opens in a new tab), which track advertising and sponsorship exposure among 11- to 17-year-olds. Rather than quote headline numbers out of context, we recommend reading the publication directly.

For adults, the same reasoning explains why responsible casino ads look so plain. They focus on the offer, its conditions and safer gambling messages rather than glamour, and they treat gambling as paid entertainment. The house edge applies to every game, so over time players are more likely to lose than to win.

How to report a gambling ad that appeals to children

Parents, teachers and young people themselves can all report adverts. The process is free and doesn’t require you to have been harmed.

1. Take a screenshot or note exactly what you saw: the brand, the imagery, the wording and any person featured.
2. Record where and when it appeared: TV channel and programme, website, app or social media account, with the date and time.
3. Explain in one or two sentences why you think it would strongly appeal to under-18s.
4. Submit the complaint through the Advertising Standards Authority’s online form.
5. If a child has been able to gamble on an account, contact the operator immediately and ask it to close the account and investigate.

If you’re worried about a young person’s gambling, GamCare runs the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133, free and open 24/7. Our guide to help for family and friends explains what support exists for those around someone who gambles, and gambling blocking software shows how to restrict access on shared devices.

What the under-18 appeal rule doesn’t cover

The rule judges marketing, not products. It doesn’t decide how slot games are designed, which is covered by the Commission’s online game design rules, and it doesn’t set when TV adverts can run; scheduling sits in the broadcast code and in the voluntary whistle-to-whistle ban. Nor does it govern the emails and texts you receive as a customer, which fall under the Commission’s gambling marketing consent rules. Sponsorship deals themselves largely sit outside the ASA’s normal remit, although Premier League clubs agreed to remove gambling brands from the front of their shirts from the 2026/27 season.

Gambling ads under 18 appeal rule timeline

Our latest UK casino rules feed records new advertising decisions and rule changes as they happen.

Adult-only licensed casinos and their current offers

Licensed casinos are adult-only: you must be 18 or over, and your age and identity are checked before you can deposit or play any game, including demos. Coral (LC International Limited, UKGC account 54743) and PlayOJO (Skill On Net Limited, account 39326) both operate under Gambling Commission licences.

These offers apply to new customers aged 18+; terms apply. Coral gives 100 free spins when you deposit (certain types excluded) and bet £10 or more on slots during the offer period of 1 October 2026 to 1 February 2027; the spins are on selected games at 10p each, must be accepted within 48 hours and last 7 days, and spin winnings have no wagering. PayPal, Skrill, Neteller, Paysafe, prepaid cards and certain debit cards don’t qualify. PlayOJO’s first-deposit offer gives 80 free spins on Big Bass Bonanza at 10p each for a deposit of at least £10, with cash winnings and no wagering; Northern Ireland is excluded. Only play with money you can afford to lose.

18+. Gambling should be entertainment that costs money, not a way to make it. Set a deposit limit before you play: how to set deposit limits. Free, confidential help: National Gambling Helpline 0808 8020 133.