A University of Bristol researcher has submitted a claim to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) that a social media post by online sportsbook Midnite may be appealing to under-18's, putting it in breach of the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) Code.
The ad in question was a post to Midnite's X account on 23 May and featured former Tottenham Hotspur player Son Heung-min holding the Europa League trophy. The post came with the text: 'How bro starts acting after winning £8.10 ($10.70) from a 30p 8 fold acca bet.'
Dribble Media, which operates Midnite, responded to the claim by admitting that Son was 'high risk' in appealing to under-18's. However, Midnite claimed that the post was not marketing nor was it intended to drive site traffic, but instead simply capturing 'topical football humour.' It 'believed consumers who engaged with the post understood that it was intended to be a light-hearted, editorial-style post,' according to the ASA report.
The operator nonetheless removed the ad after it was contacted by the ASA, and have revised their marketing policy.
In its assessment of the ad, the ASA considered factors such as the post appearing in a non-paid-for space, the ability for under-18s to lie about their age to access X and a range of other factors. The ASA concluded that 'the ad was irresponsible and breached the Code.'
As such, the ad cannot appear again in its original form, and the ASA has cautioned Dribble to not feature people or characters in ads that may have youth appeal.
The ASA monitors all advertising in the UK, ensuring it adheres to laws and regulation
