The UK s advertising watchdog, the (ASA), has that Paddy Power and Sky Bet broke guidelines in their recent marketing campaigns. The ADA updated its guidelines last October to ensure gambling ads didn t appeal to young people.
A Paddy Power trade show display. The sports betting company was the subject of a complaint over ads in the UK but did nothing wrong. (Image: Getty Images)Under these new gambling regulations, ads cannot feature athletes and other high-profile figures. However, the use of some retired athletes is acceptable. That s because former athletes don t hold the same attractiveness for younger generations, according to the ASA s estimations.
Paddy Power tapped former striker Peter Crouch to appear in a couple of the operator s spots last November. The striker and Premier League record holder – he has the most headed goals in the league s history – was picked up for two TV commercials before Christmas, as well as other promotional campaigns.
No Longer a Big StarThe ASA began investigating Paddy Power after a complaint was made over the Crouch ads.
In response to the ASA, argued that Crouch didn t appeal to young audiences because retired from soccer in 2019, a time apparently long enough away from the game to no longer be relevant.
The ASA agreed, adding that Crouch s primary soccer clubs, Stoke City and Burnley, weren t significant enough on the international soccer stage to be a threat. It also determined that the complaint was without merit because the 41-year-old Crouch has a low profile on social media.
Since he doesn t actively use platforms like TikTok, Facebook, or Twitch, he wouldn t be seen by younger people, according to the ASA.
Sky Bet Mics Up MicahJust a day after the ASA implemented the change, Sky Bet hired retired soccer star Micah Richards. His image appeared in a tweet discussing free bets, resulting in two complaints making their way to the ASA.
Richards spent 10 years with Man City (one on loan to Italy s Fiorentina) and five with Aston Villa. He retired in 2019 and moved to the analyst s booth, becoming an announcer for Sky Sports and BBC Sport.
The 34-year-old is also a Man City ambassador and has appeared in numerous soccer TV programs. Because these were broadcast mostly in the late evening, the ASA said they wouldn t have attracted a lot of younger viewers.
He s active on social media, but the content mostly targets adult Netizens. The watchdog concluded that this meant that children wouldn t regularly access his feeds or channels.
Sky Bet responded similarly to Paddy Power, arguing that Richards doesn t have the same celebrity status as some newer athletes. Therefore, he couldn t be someone whose image would influence younger people to want to wager on sports.
The ASA ultimately tossed out the complaints against both operators.
