ASA Bans Oddschecker Gambling Ads Featuring Kane and Haaland

⏱ 3 min read

The UK’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has banned two Instagram betting posts by Oddschecker after ruling that both featured individuals who pose “a high risk of strong appeal to under-18s.” The upheld complaints — each tied to football markets around the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup — signal that social media age-gating is no defence against violations of UK gambling advertising rules.

The ruling was published on 27 May 2026, eleven days before the World Cup kicks off on 11 June across the United States, Canada and Mexico — precisely when UK operator social media activity around football markets peaks. The complaints were originally lodged in November 2025 by a researcher at the University of Bristol, targeting two posts on the OddscheckerTV Instagram account of Cyan Blue Odds Ltd, the company that operates Oddschecker.

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What the ASA Ruled

The ASA upheld the complaint under the CAP Code’s gambling advertising rules, finding that Harry Kane — England captain, former Tottenham Hotspur striker and the all-time second-highest scorer in the Premier League — and Erling Haaland — Manchester City striker and Norway international — each carry a “high risk of strong appeal to under-18s.” UK advertising rules prohibit gambling content featuring such personalities irrespective of platform or format.

The ruling arrived alongside the ASA’s disclosure of a large-scale proactive sweep of gambling operators’ social media on Meta platforms, covering posts published between August 2025 and March 2026. Of nearly 400 posts reviewed, approximately 85% were compliant or fell outside the rules’ scope. Around 5% — fewer than 20 posts — were judged clearly problematic, with enforcement action now under way.

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The Posts That Were Banned

Both posts appeared on the OddscheckerTV Instagram account in November 2025. The first featured an image of Kane and stated he was the most backed player to win the 2026 Ballon d’Or, accounting for 32% of bets. The second showed Haaland and declared Norway the most-backed team to win the 2026 World Cup, noting their price had shortened from 80/1 to a general 50/1.

Case	Advertiser	Personality	ASA Decision	Key Reason
Ballon d’Or odds post	Oddschecker	Harry Kane	Upheld — banned	England captain; all-time 2nd-highest PL scorer; high under-18 appeal risk
2026 World Cup odds post	Oddschecker	Erling Haaland	Upheld — banned	Global star with substantial UK under-18 following
Arsenal interview post	Betway	Thierry Henry	Not upheld	Primarily adult appeal; post included 18+ symbol and GambleAware link

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The “Editorial” Defence That Failed

Cyan Blue Odds Ltd argued the posts were “primarily editorial in nature, rather than ads” and therefore exempt from the age disclaimers and responsible gambling messaging ordinarily required on gambling promotions. The company also pointed to the OddscheckerTV account being restricted to users aged 18 and above.

The ASA rejected both defences. It found that children who had not provided their real date of birth when joining Instagram would still have been able to access the content. On the editorial claim, the authority determined that posts containing live betting market data and real price movements could not be treated as exempt from the rules on that basis alone.

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Betway Contrast: Henry Escapes the Ban

The ASA declined to uphold a parallel complaint against Betway over an Instagram post featuring former Arsenal player and TV pundit Thierry Henry. The post promoted an interview with Henry — Betway’s global ambassador — discussing Arsenal’s prospects. The regulator found Henry’s primary audience is adult football fans rather than minors. The post also included a GambleAware logo, an 18+ symbol and a link to BeGambleAware.org — all absent from the Oddschecker posts — demonstrating that visible responsible gambling disclosures remain a material factor in ASA assessments.

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What This Means for Operators

The ruling carries immediate implications for any UK-licensed operator planning World Cup-themed social media content ahead of 11 June. The CAP Guidance classifies all active top-flight UK footballers — and high-profile non-UK stars with a significant UK following — as carrying a high risk of under-18 appeal. Platform age-restriction settings provide no regulatory cover.

• Posts referencing betting markets alongside images of active top-flight footballers will be treated as gambling ads regardless of whether the account is age-gated.
• All scheduled World Cup social media content should be reviewed against the CAP Code before 11 June 2026.
• Visible responsible gambling messaging — 18+ symbols, GambleAware links — is a material mitigating factor, as the Betway decision makes clear.
• The ASA’s ongoing Meta sweep signals further enforcement actions are likely before and during the tournament.

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Sources

This article is based on primary regulatory documents from the ASA and verified trade press coverage. Primary sources are listed first.

Our rules extend to organic posts on betting companies’ social media feeds.

— Advertising Standards Authority, “Keeping Gambling Advertising Responsible and Protecting Young People” · ASA News, 27 May 2026