The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has banned five Midnite advertisements after ruling that the campaign suggested gambling could provide an escape from stressful situations and encouraged socially irresponsible behaviour.
The regulator received 125 complaints about two television ads, two video-on-demand ads and one radio ad that appeared during April and May.
The campaign depicted people encountering malfunctioning technology before promoting Midnite's betting or casino app.
The television and VOD executions showed characters becoming increasingly frustrated as supermarket scanners, hotel equipment and other technology failed.
Pulsing veins were used to depict their frustration before the ads introduced Midnite's app. The radio version followed a similar sequence involving problems with a television, QR code and remote control.
Midnite argued that the campaign focused on the reliability and functionality of its technology. It said the inconveniences depicted were minor and that the characters were not shown using gambling as a response to them. Clearcast and Radiocentre also considered the campaign to be a comparison between unreliable technology and Midnite's service.
However, the ASA found that presenting the frustrations in close succession created a cumulative sense of stress. It concluded that the subsequent references to Midnite could be understood as suggesting that using the app offered relief from those situations, effectively presenting gambling as a coping mechanism.
The broadcast ads breached BCAP rules 17.3.1 and 17.3.2, while the VOD ads breached CAP rules 16.3.1 and 16.3.3.
The provisions prohibit advertising that encourages socially irresponsible gambling or suggests gambling can provide an escape from personal, professional or educational problems. All five ads must not appear again in the form complained of.
The decision comes amid wider ASA enforcement against gambling advertising. During a four-week monitoring operation around the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the regulator reviewed nearly 10,000 pieces of content and secured the removal of 36 ads from seven advertisers over breaches involving strong appeal to under-18s.
Midnite has itself faced several ASA investigations. A June complaint involving a TikTok promotion featuring creator Mia Mon was not upheld after the regulator found her profile was unlikely to have strong appeal to under-18s.
The operator also raised $35m in Series C funding in January, taking its total equity funding above $75m as it continued to expand its sportsbook and casino operations.
In May, the ASA separately considered advertising by Oddschecker and Betway following complaints concerning the use of football figures in social media promotions. The Oddschecker complaint was upheld while the Betway complaint was not.
A November 2025 ASA ruling also found a Midnite social media post featuring Son Heung-Min breached gambling advertising rules concerning strong appeal to under-18s
