Right, let’s talk about something that’ll save you getting properly mugged off by casino ads. You’ve seen them everywhere – “COMPLETELY FREE SPINS!” plastered across your Instagram, “RISK-FREE BETTING!” on the football sites. Most of it’s bollocks, and the UK government knows it.
That’s why we’ve got the CAP and BCAP codes. Sounds boring as hell, but these are the rules that mean when Bet365 promises you something, they actually have to deliver it. Or they get absolutely hammered by the authorities.
Before we begin I would like to say special thanks to SlotsHawk.com team for providing me their expert reviwe on this content.
The Rules That Make Casinos Sweat
Section 16 of the CAP code is where the magic happens. Basically says casinos can’t lie, can’t target kids, and can’t pretend gambling solves your overdraft. Simple enough, yeah? Except casinos spent years finding loopholes until the Advertising Standards Authority started properly enforcing this stuff.
Take Rule 16.3.1 – the one about “free” bets and bonuses. It specifically says if you’re calling something free, it better be actually free. No deposits needed, no wagering requirements, nothing. The second you need to put money in or jump through hoops, it’s not free anymore, it’s a bonus offer. And you have to call it that.
888 Casino found out the hard way when they ran ads for “£88 absolutely free.” ASA investigated, found out you needed to wager it 30 times before withdrawing anything. Got banned, publicly shamed, the works. Their competitors loved it.
But here’s the clever bit – the rules don’t just cover the main ad. Section 3.3 says all “significant conditions” need to be clear and prominent. Not hidden, not in tiny text, not requiring a law degree to understand. If it affects whether someone would take the offer, it needs to be obvious.
The Under-25 Ban Nobody Talks About
Since October 2022, there’s been this mental rule that most punters don’t even know exists. Casinos cannot use anyone who looks under 25 in their ads. Not just kids – anyone who could be in their early twenties.
This killed influencer marketing for most casinos overnight. All those fresh-faced YouTubers and TikTokers who were raking it in promoting casino sites? Gone. Even if they’re actually 26, if they look younger, they’re out.
The ASA doesn’t mess about with this either. They use something called the “precautionary principle” – if there’s any doubt about whether someone looks under 25, the ad gets pulled. Tombola got done for using a 28-year-old presenter who looked too young. Twenty-eight! But she looked early twenties, so banned.
What Happens When Affiliates Go Rogue
Here’s something most people don’t realise – casinos are responsible for every single affiliate promoting them. Every blogger, every Twitter account, every dodgy Facebook group promising “GUARANTEED CASINO WINS!” If they’re using an affiliate link, the casino’s on the hook for what they say.
Section 2.1 of the CAP code makes this crystal clear. The casino is the “principal advertiser” and they’re responsible for ensuring affiliates follow the rules. Doesn’t matter if some random bloke with 50 followers tweets misleading stuff about your bonus – if he’s an affiliate, you’re liable.
LeoVegas got absolutely destroyed for this. They had affiliates claiming “risk-free gambling” and “guaranteed profits.” The ASA held LeoVegas responsible for every single claim. They had to contact every affiliate, audit all their content, and provide evidence they’d fixed everything. Took them months and cost them a fortune.
The smart casinos now give affiliates pre-approved ad copy and monitor everything. One rogue affiliate saying “make £500 a day from your sofa!” and the whole programme gets investigated.
The Broadcast Rules Are Even Worse
TV and radio? That’s the BCAP code, Section 17, and it’s brutal. No gambling ads before 9 PM watershed, no exceptions. No gambling ads during programmes that might appeal to kids, even if they air at midnight. And definitely no gambling ads around sports that kids watch.
But it goes deeper. Rule 17.4.5 says you can’t even imply that gambling is a normal part of watching sports. Remember when every football match had three betting ads at half-time? That’s been massively restricted. They can advertise, but they can’t suggest that betting makes football more exciting or that “everyone’s having a flutter.”
Sky Sports got done for showing betting odds during live matches without proper warnings. Wasn’t even an ad, just graphics showing the odds. ASA ruled it normalised gambling during family viewing time. Now they have to show responsible gambling messages every single time odds appear.
The voiceover requirements are mental too. Every significant condition needs to be either shown on screen for enough time to read properly (not flashed for 0.3 seconds) or clearly stated in the voiceover. Ever noticed how gambling radio ads suddenly speed up at the end? They’re cramming in all the required terms.
Social Media Is a Minefield
X (Twitter), Instagram, TikTok – they’re all covered by CAP rules, but enforcing them is a nightmare. Rule 16.3.13 says casinos must use age-gating to ensure under-18s don’t see their ads. Sounds simple. It’s not.
The platforms’ age-gating is rubbish. Kids lie about their age, everyone knows it. So the ASA expects “additional precautions.” That means not advertising on profiles that might appeal to kids, not using hashtags teenagers might search, not appearing in spaces where under-18s hang out.
Ladbrokes thought they were clever using meme pages to advertise. The pages weren’t specifically for kids, but the ASA found that 30% of meme page followers were likely under 18. Ads banned, investigation launched, massive headache.
Then there’s the disclosure rules. Every single post needs #ad or #advert clearly visible. Not buried in a wall of hashtags, not in matching color to the background. Clear, obvious, unmissable. Influencers keep “forgetting” this and casinos keep getting blamed for it.
The Data They Have to Keep (And Why It Matters)
This bit’s tedious but important. Casinos must keep records of every single ad they run. Not just the ad itself – the targeting data, the approval process, evidence of age-gating, complaint responses, everything. CAP’s “Compliance” section requires maintaining these records for at least a year.
Why should you care? Because when you complain about a dodgy ad, they can’t claim it never existed. The ASA can demand to see everything – who approved it, what targeting was used, how many people saw it. If they can’t produce the records, they’re automatically guilty.
Gala Bingo got caught out when they couldn’t provide targeting data for Facebook ads that kids had seen. They claimed they’d age-gated properly but had no proof. ASA ruled against them by default. Now every casino keeps obsessive records of everything.
What “Gambling Responsibly” Actually Means Legally
Every gambling ad has to include responsible gambling messaging. But Rule 16.3.9 gets specific about what that means. It can’t just be “Please gamble responsibly” in tiny text. Has to be prominent, has to include age restrictions, should link to help resources.
The phrase itself has legal weight now. If you’re telling people to “gamble responsibly” while showing someone winning massive jackpots and living their best life, that’s contradictory messaging. The ASA will nail you for it.
Betway tried running ads with “Gamble Responsibly” at the bottom while the main ad showed someone winning enough to quit their job. ASA ruled the responsible gambling message was undermined by the content. Banned.
From January 2026, it gets stricter. Every ad will need to include specific risk warnings, not just generic “responsibility” messages. Think cigarette packet warnings but for gambling ads.
The Complaints Process That Actually Works
Want to report a dodgy casino ad? Here’s exactly how the ASA process works, because most people don’t know you can do this yourself.
First, screenshot everything. The ad, where you saw it, when you saw it. The ASA needs evidence. Then go to their website, fill out the complaint form. Takes about ten minutes. You don’t need to know which rules were broken – just explain why you think it’s misleading or inappropriate.
The ASA logs every complaint. One complaint might not trigger action, but they track patterns. Five people complaining about the same ad? That gets investigated. Twenty complaints? Fast-tracked investigation.
Once they investigate, the casino has to respond with evidence they followed the rules. Not arguments, not excuses – actual proof. If they can’t, they lose. The ruling gets published on the ASA website for everyone to see.
William Hill got over 100 complaints about a “guaranteed win” promotion. ASA investigation found the terms made winning nearly impossible. Not only did they ban the ad, they referred William Hill to the Gambling Commission for potential license review.
When UKGC Steps In (And Casinos Get Scared)
The ASA can ban ads and embarrass companies. But when they refer cases to the UK Gambling Commission, that’s when casinos properly brick it. UKGC can fine them millions or revoke their license entirely.
The handover happens when casinos repeatedly break rules or when breaches are serious enough to suggest the operator isn’t fit to hold a license. The UKGC’s License Conditions and Codes of Practice (LCCP) incorporate CAP/BCAP requirements, so breaking advertising rules means breaking license conditions.
In 2023, the UKGC fined Flutter (owns Paddy Power, Betfair, Sky Bet) £2.2 million for advertising failures. Not for one ad – for systematic failures across their brands to properly implement CAP code requirements. They had to overhaul their entire marketing operation.
The Zero Wagering Revolution
All these rules created an unexpected outcome. Some casinos just said “sod it” and started offering genuinely free spins with zero wagering requirements. Deposit a tenner, get your spins, keep whatever you win. No 40x turnover bollocks.
PlayOJO started this trend, and now loads of casinos offer zero wagering bonuses. They’d rather give away less but be able to advertise it honestly than deal with ASA complaints about misleading “free” claims.
Sites like exist specifically to track which casinos offer legitimate zero wagering deals. Because even with all these rules, you need someone to cut through the marketing speak and tell you what you’re actually getting.
The irony? These casinos often make more money because players trust them more. Who knew being honest could be profitable?
What’s Actually Changing in 2026
The Gambling Act review is bringing massive changes. Wagering requirements capped at 10x from January 2026. Stake limits for under-25s. Mandatory affordability checks for big deposits. The advertising rules will get updated to reflect all this.
But the big one nobody’s talking about? The “single customer view” requirement. Casinos will have to track your gambling across all their brands. Own five different casino sites? You’ll have to monitor if someone’s losing too much across all five, not just each one individually.
This affects advertising because they won’t be able to target people who are already struggling. The data protection implications are mental, but the UKGC doesn’t care. Consumer protection trumps everything.
Why British Rules Are Actually Pretty Good
Look, nobody loves regulations. But compare the UK to somewhere like Curaçao where online casinos are basically unregulated. British punters don’t realise how good they’ve got it.
You see an ad here, you know it’s been vetted. The casino has a UK license, meaning they have money in UK bank accounts the UKGC can freeze. They have to follow rules or lose access to one of the world’s biggest gambling markets.
These CAP and BCAP codes aren’t perfect. Casinos still push boundaries, some ads still take the piss. But at least there’s a system. You can complain and something actually happens. Try that with a casino licensed in Costa Rica.
The rules keep evolving because the industry keeps finding loopholes. It’s a constant game of cat and mouse. But each iteration gets better at protecting punters while letting legitimate businesses operate.
Further Information
- Check ASA rulings on specific casinos – asa.org.uk/rulings-database
- Report misleading gambling ads – asa.org.uk/make-a-complaint
- UKGC enforcement actions – gamblingcommission.gov.uk/news
