Two Twitter adverts of Ladbrokes are under fire for being enticing to audiences below 18. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) flagged them for disregarding the marketing code.


  • The Under 18 Appealing Adverts


The first advert featured Eddie Howe, manager of Newcastle United. The second one included photos of four renowned Premier League managers. They were Frank Lampard, David Moyes, Gary O’Neil, and Brendan Rodgers. ASA cried foul mainly because of the possible promotional value these ads might have. They argued that by putting popular Premier League managers in view, it can highly influence minors.

This is because football fans greatly recognize these prominent personalities. However, this is not the first time the bookmaker made noise regarding this matter. Over the years, ASA brought down several of its previous ads as they breached the code and rules of advertising.


  • The Ladbrokes Brand


According to its website, Ladbrokes has been in the industry since 1886. It operates in the United Kingdom, Belgium, Ireland, and Spain. Currently, it has over 2,700 retail betting shops across the globe. As one of the biggest names in the world of gambling, Ladbrokes has various betting facilities, even racecourses.

It has telephone betting as well, catering to more than 100,000 customers. However, its most successful venture yet is its 24/7 online gaming website. Ladbroke.com currently has almost 800,000 active patrons. The website is available in 18 different languages and widely accepts various currencies.

To break into a bigger international market, the company began its plan of expansion in China and other countries.


  • Defence of Ladbrokes


The UK-based bookmaker defended its intent on releasing the ads. They stated that the tweet involving Howe was for editorial purposes only. This is to celebrate his success in the field of football. The ad did not include a call for action, links to their website, and other promotional offers.

They thought that this would not appeal to those under 18 years of age, which is contrary to ASA’s assessment. Having said that, they did not have the same justification as the second ad. It recognizes that they might have “inadvertently” added the images of the managers.

The target audience for the tweets is over 25. Ladbrokes even set an age gate to prevent audiences from the lower age bracket from seeing the ad.


  • The Ruling of ASA


The advertising watchdog did not buy the explanation of the bookmaker. Based on its evaluation, the security features placed by the brand did not cut the marketing threshold. For that reason, it concluded that the two ads were both irresponsible and against the rules.

Thus, banning them altogether. ASA’s ruling is under the amendment to the advertising gambling regulations released last October 2022. Mandated to not strongly appeal, this aims to provide stern protection to youngsters.

Ladbrokes responded that it already placed measures that will guarantee thorough ad reviews. It also ensured its cooperation with the authority and its compliance with the regulations.


  • Will Ladbrokes Ever Learn?


Despite the great commitment it promised, it is once again involved in another controversy. In one of its recent tweets, it featured boxer and YouTube star Jake Paul. This also resulted in them taking down the ad following the banning of ASA.


  • Responsible Marketing


Due to its worldwide popularity and charm, anything related to football will always be enticing to all sports fans. So, it is understandable that many children look up to their favorite footballers and coaches.

For this reason, betting companies must take extra caution in their promotion and marketing strategies. It is also up to them to advise players to exercise responsible gambling, especially with casinos not on Gamstop.