UK Ad Infractions Far Higher Than Other Jurisdictions, Says Report

There were 1.32m marketing regulatory infractions in the UK during 2023, considerably higher than other comparable jurisdictions, according to research by an affiliate compliance firm.

Rightlander’s UK Marketing Compliance Report lists the country ahead of Ontario in Canada with the second highest infractions at 768,000 and Spain in third with 369,000. 

Rightlander’s study, shared with Vixio GamblingCompliance, analysed marketing compliance data scanned by its technology in 2023, which looks into the marketing practices of affiliates, publishers and influencers across multiple online channels, including social media. 

The report does acknowledge that the company’s scanning is “more rigorous in highly regulated jurisdictions like the UK, Ontario, and Spain”.

A spokesperson from Rightlander said the figures of compliance infractions in different countries help people to “understand the bigger picture”.

“Looking at marketing compliance in the gambling industry is an area that many regulators globally are trying to get to grips with, so seeing the numbers clearly can help identify the areas that may need more attention,” a Rightlander spokesperson told Vixio.

Rightlander found more than 189,000 ad campaigns targeting the UK with “time-sensitive calls to action”, meaning they created a sense of urgency. 

There were also more than 389,000 instances of marketing campaigns promoting gambling as life-changing that targeted the UK online gambling industry in 2023.

Campaigns deliberately targeting self-excluded players were also much more prevalent in the UK, with 27,557 instances recorded, compared with 7,151 in Germany.

The UK was the fourth highest market where unlicensed operators appeared on third-party marketing websites, with 1,422 recorded in 2023, compared with 6,039 in Germany, 3,476 in Spain and 2,910 in Italy.

Rightlander’s report concluded: “These areas, along with combating the marketing and promotion of unlicensed brands, should be a focus for all key stakeholders in order to sustain a safe and sustainable industry.”

A spokesperson for the UK’s advertising watchdog, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), told Vixio that it works “to ensure that gambling ads aren’t targeting young and vulnerable audiences” and uses “cutting-edge technology powered by AI to proactively monitor online gambling ads on an ongoing basis to ensure they’re following the rules”.

However, the ASA added that it has not seen many examples of ads irresponsibly exploiting vulnerable people using pressure tactics.

When it does come across such infractions, “we take action", the ASA said.

“For example, last year we banned an ad from Lights Camera Bingo after we found it exploited the susceptibilities of vulnerable people. In 2021, we banned an ad from the gambling app Casumo as we considered there was a strong possibility that it was being served to people who had sought to self-exclude from receiving gambling ads and therefore was irresponsibly targeted. We’d encourage anyone who has concerns to get in touch,” the ASA said.

The ASA is continuing to monitor and sanction problem ads and said it will “continue to assess the evidence base surrounding the impact of gambling advertising on potential problem behaviour to ensure that its rules remain effective”.