ASA Enforces Ad Standards with Influencer Astrid Wett’s Campaign

Background of the Complaint

The complaint arose after Wett, under the age of 25 at the time, was featured in an advertisement for Festival Free Bets.

Posted on March 12, the advertisement displayed a picture of Wett at Cheltenham racecourse when she was 23 years old. According to UK advertising regulations, individuals under 25 should not play a significant role in gambling advertisements.

ASA’s Ruling

The ASA upheld the complaint against the advert, stressing that such promotions breach the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) Code which bars the appearance of under-25s in gambling ads to prevent youth-centric advertising strategies. Festival Free Bets did not respond to the ASA’s inquiries, which the authority highlighted as a concern for compliance disregard.

The ASA’s official statement clarified, “Although we acknowledged that Festival Free Bets was not itself a licensed gambling provider, using it would place consumers in a position where they would be interacting with gambling services. We therefore considered it would be irresponsible to feature someone who was aged under 25 playing a significant role in their ads.”

Astrid Wett’s Response

Wett apologized for the oversight, stating, “I was not aware of the CAP Code’s age restrictions for gambling ads and had assumed the post was allowed because I was aged over 18.”

ASA’s Warning Ahead of Euro 2024

In light of the upcoming Euro 2024, the ASA has issued a broader warning to gambling operators regarding their advertising practices.

The authority has advised these companies to be especially cautious not to target minors. The updated Cap Code mandates that gambling ads must not feature any individual under 25 years old, including sports figures, on any advertising platform outside betting sites themselves.