March 13, 2026
Part of our series on ASA rulings relating to children’s appeal in gambling marketing
The ASA assessed a complaint made about a paid-for Facebook ad appearing in July 2025 featuring Sir Lewis Hamilton, whom the complainant believed was likely to be of strong appeal to under-18s. The ad (which included the Betway logo on-screen throughout) featured a shot of three F1 drivers with their backs to the camera watching a race, with the middle driver implied to be Hamilton. There was explicit reference to Hamilton in the caption, “Will Hamilton maintain his home track dominance?”
While Betway did not dispute the likelihood of Hamilton’s strong appeal, they maintained that the way in which he was presented in the ad would have limited any appeal. They stated that they intentionally refrained from showing Hamilton’s face, and that Hamilton’s inclusion in the ad was minimal and contributed to a broader conversation about the British Grand Prix. The ASA considered that the image of Hamilton included in the ad was clearly recognisable as him, despite his face not being visible. Although F1 is considered an adult-orientated sport, Hamilton’s ‘notable’ media status (including 1.6 million under-18 followers on Instagram, out of 39.7 million) positioned him as being of ‘moderate risk’ of strong appeal.
Betway also provided data that showed the largest age group with regards to engagement was that aged 45 and over (95% engagement), and the smallest was 25-34 (0.75% engagement), which they stated supported their submission that the ad presented limited appeal. The ASA considered that, although gambling ads featuring strong-appeal individuals such as Hamilton are acceptable on platforms where under-18s are excluded from the audience, Facebook’s self-verification of age was insufficient to ensure this. The ASA once again highlighted the danger of under-18s falsely claiming to be over 18.
In this series:
Expertise
Topics