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The UK has banned gambling advertisements featuring F1 driver Lewis Hamilton and the Chelsea FC logo, citing concerns that they might influence children.
On Wednesday, October 22, the UK's Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) noted that the ads, published by two gambling firms, Kwiff and Betway, were banned after a probe into the complaints.
Betway's YouTube advert, seen in May, featured football fans wearing clothes with the Chelsea badge, while Kwiff's post on X in July promoted the British Grand Prix with Hamilton's picture.
Both betting companies were warned not to include any character who had a strong appeal to viewers under the age of 18.
In its ruling on Kwiff, which is run by Eaton Gate Gaming, ASA said that a researcher from the University of Bristol had lodged a complaint over concerns that the firm's post on X would likely appeal to an underage audience of F1.
Kwiff's post featured an image of Hamilton with text highlighting a "huge weekend" for him at the British Grand Prix in the Silverstone race, accompanied by an "18+" symbol.
The post also included a link to an article on Kwiff's website about the race.
Eaton Gate Gaming had said that its data indicated that Hamilton appealed to an older audience rather than those aged under 18, ASA wrote.
The post was meant to drive traffic to their company blog, which was an "editorial commentary" on a website separate from their gambling platform, the betting firm told ASA.
Kwiff has since reviewed its social media accounts and removed any content that displayed mainstream sportspeople.
"We considered Sir Lewis Hamilton was a notable star within the sport, with a significant public profile and social media following," the ASA ruling said.
The authority also cited Hamilton's 150,000 Instagram followers who were under 18 and based in the UK as a sign of his appeal among youths.
