ASA upholds complaint against LiveScore Bet over under-18 gambling ads
The regulator found that gambling content appeared in versions of the LiveScore app designed for underage users, breaching advertising codes despite company safeguards.
Key points:
– ASA ruled that two LiveScore Bet ads breached CAP Code by appearing in under-18 app versions
– A technical fault led to one ad being shown on iOS; the other was observed despite testing showing no replication on Android
– LiveScore Bet is required to ensure future gambling ads are appropriately targeted
The UK’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has upheld a complaint against LiveScore Betting & Gaming (Gibraltar) after two in-app advertisements for LiveScore Bet appeared in versions of the LiveScore app designed for users under the age of 18.
The ads, seen on 10 January 2025 on both Android and iOS devices, displayed live betting odds linked to the LiveScore Bet app.
One appeared alongside football scores and the other under a match line-up page, with both including references to responsible gambling and age limitations.
The complaint centred on the appearance of these ads in what was designated as the under-18 version of the LiveScore app.
Although LiveScore Bet stated the app used an age-gating tool requiring users to self-declare their age upon first use, the ASA concluded that gambling content had still been shown to underage users.
Ad (a), seen on an Android device, was not replicable during LiveScore Bet’s own testing. However, the ASA confirmed it had observed the ad in the under-18 version, meaning the content was not appropriately restricted.
Ad (b), viewed on an iOS device, was acknowledged by the company to have been caused by a technical fault in an older version of the app. Although LiveScore Bet said the links did not direct to further gambling content and that the issue had been resolved in newer versions, the ASA ruled the ad nonetheless breached the CAP Code.
Good to know: Under current rules, gambling promotions must not be directed at under-18s through media selection or placement
The ASA concluded that both ads violated these provisions, specifically breaching CAP Code rules 1.3, 16.1 and 16.3.13.
As a result, the ASA has instructed LiveScore Bet to prevent gambling promotions from appearing in any future versions of the app targeted at minors.
The ruling follows a related case in April 2025, where the ASA cleared a separate gambling ad involving former cricketer Stuart Broad and operator Fitzdares, concluding that the promotion did not appeal to under-18 audiences due to the lack of youth-oriented influence.
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