The United Kingdom’s advertising regulatory body, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), recently prohibited a promotional piece from gaming enterprise Kwiff featured on the Portsmouth Football Club webpage. The problem? The advertisement, which highlighted bonus rounds on a slot machine game, was displayed alongside information about the “Junior Blues,” a youth organization for children between the ages of four and seventeen.
Although Kwiff, a subsidiary of Eaton Gate Gaming, contended that the advertisement was not directly incorporated into the Junior Blues section and was only accessed by adults, the ASA remained resolute. British regulations are unambiguous: marketing materials for gambling should not be directed at minors. The ASA determined that the advertisement’s location on the site, even with a notice regarding adult memberships on the same page, still presented a possibility of exposure to underage viewers.
Eaton Gate Gaming asserted that its youth membership plan details were intended for parental viewing. However, the UK’s advertising regulatory body, the ASA, intervened. They determined that adolescents navigating the “Pompey Teen” area (designed for 13 to 17-year-olds) were likely perusing the page independently, without parental supervision.
Consequently, both Eaton Gate Gaming and Kwiff are under scrutiny. They are encountering limitations on their permissible advertising, essentially a reprimand instructing them to ensure their ads do not reach individuals below the age of 18.
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