ASA Rules Against Ladbrokes Over ‘Ladbucks’ Ads

ASA Cites Breach of Codes Over Child Appeal

The UK’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has upheld two complaints against LC International, trading as Ladbrokes, for promotional ads featuring its ‘Ladbucks’ rewards scheme. The authority concluded that both the television and Video on Demand (VOD) advertisements breached UK advertising codes by featuring content with strong appeal to individuals under the age of 18.

The ads, which aired in December 2024, showcased ‘Ladbucks’ as a loyalty scheme offering tokens redeemable for free spins and bets. These tokens were portrayed as shiny, gold-style coins marked with the initials “Lb” and were associated with titles such as Fishin Frenzy and Goldstrike, available in the so-called “Ladbucks arcade.”

Similarities to Youth Gaming Currencies

The ASA’s decision was heavily influenced by the perceived resemblance between Ladbrokes’ promotional content and in-game currencies familiar to younger audiences, such as V-Bucks (used in Fortnite) and Robux (used in Roblox). The design of the tokens, language used in the adverts, and the context in which they were shown were deemed to closely mirror elements common in gaming platforms with large underage user bases.

Two viewers challenged the ads on these grounds, arguing that the combination of terminology and visuals would likely be recognised and valued by children. The ASA agreed, referencing data from Ofcom and other sources suggesting that the presentation would be “familiar and attractive” to under-18s.

Ladbrokes Defends Use as Brand Play

In its response, Ladbrokes argued that the Ladbucks tokens held no real monetary value, could not be bought or sold, and were only available to users verified as being over 18. The operator stated that the term was intended as a brand-related pun and not designed to imitate the style of youth gaming.

Despite this, the ASA concluded that the overall effect of the ads contravened BCAP Code rule 17.4.5 and CAP Code rules 16.1 and 16.3.12, which prohibit gambling ads from including material likely to appeal strongly to minors.

The ruling follows a similar action taken by the ASA in September 2024, when five ads for social casino games were banned for presenting content deemed misleading and likely to attract underage audiences. The regulator has made clear that it expects gambling operators to avoid references, aesthetics or mechanics that overlap with environments popular among younger users.

As a result of the latest ruling, the Ladbrokes ads must not appear again in their current form. The ASA also instructed the operator to avoid using any future content that may be interpreted as drawing from youth culture or digital gaming styles associated with underage users.