ASA Closes Offshore Gambling Advertising Loophole: What UK Players Need to Know

The UK’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has shut down a long-standing loophole that let overseas gambling firms sidestep parts of the UK’s ad rules while still targeting British customers. The change took effect in September 2025, and it’s still reshaping how operators market to UK audiences this December.

The update extends the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) Code to all UK-licensed gambling operators, no matter where they’re registered. In the past, big brands based in places like Gibraltar and Malta (think Paddy Power, Bet365, and Ladbrokes) could exploit gaps by avoiding rules on non-paid social media posts.

“This is an important, though long overdue step for consumer protection and regulatory consistency,” said Dr Raffaello Rossi, a senior lecturer at the University of Bristol, who pushed for the change with colleagues. His team had shown how gambling brands could “simply move their registered office abroad and thereby completely bypass UK social media advertising regulations.”

Why it matters: the move levels the playing field between UK-based and offshore licensees and holds all gambling advertising to the same strict standards for protecting children and vulnerable adults. The focus falls squarely on social platforms (Instagram, TikTok, X, and YouTube) where younger users are especially exposed to promotional content.

Under the revised framework, every UK-licensed operator must ensure their unpaid marketing complies with the CAP Code. That includes bans on using athletes, celebrities, or influencers, and enforcing age-gating so content doesn’t reach under-21s.

The ASA said the shift followed “growing public and political pressure to strengthen controls on gambling advertising across digital platforms.” Flutter Entertainment, Bet365, and Entain, major licensees registered outside the UK, now fall under the tightened regime.

The regulator is taking industry feedback through a three-month consultation that runs until 1 December 2025, ahead of a formal review. It also stressed that this extension is gambling-specific and doesn’t change the position for advertisers in other sectors without a UK-registered address.