UK watchdog spanks Hills, Greentube in-app casino ads

The UK’s advertising watchdog has spanked two more gambling operators for crossing its increasingly hard boundaries on marketing gambling products to underage audiences.

On Wednesday, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) upheld complaints against ads promoting bookmaker William Hill’s online casino William Hill Vegas and Greentube Alderney’s Bell Fruit Casino. The ads appeared within game apps, leading the ASA to conclude the ads were inappropriately targeted and breached the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) code.

Both operators had used Google’s Universal App Campaign product, which served their campaigns across Search, Google Display Network, YouTube and the Google Play Store. Google limits service of gambling ads to individuals over 18.

In Hills’ case, the operator suggested the ads appeared in the Mario Kart game app due to the devices either having previously been used for gambling or adult-themed content, or by a person with a desktop account who logged in via their mobile device.