Hollywoodbets has been under scrutiny from the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) in the United Kingdom for age-inappropriate ads.
The action resulted from a complaint from a user under the age of eighteen who had come into contact with an advertisement that they felt was inappropriate.
Hollywoodbets faces scrutiny from ASA
On April 10, 2025, the young user was using the “ www.the-VFL.com, a website for Virtual Football League, an EAFC (EA SPORTS FC)” an e-sports statistic website, where the ad was placed.
The ad reportedly featured imagery of multiple sports and resembled a traditional betting sign-up offer. The ASA continued that the marketing stated that an image of the Hollywoodbets logo was present and the text reading, “UP TO £30 BACK AS FREE BETS + 20 FREE SPINS,” and featured a “SIGN HERE.”
The ASA contacted Hollywoodbets, and the regulator released a statement on this particular potential breach via their website. The site is used to inform the public about decision-making and rulings that fall under the remit of the ASA and its sister organisation, the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP), which regulates marketing aimed at a consumer audience.
ASA upholds the complaint
The decision to uphold the complaint said that, “Marketing communications for gambling must not be directed at those aged younger than 18 years through the selection of media or context in which they appeared.”
The ASA and CPA both determined that the opportunity for the ad to be available to users under the legal gambling age constituted a direct breach of CAP Code (Edition 12) rules 16.1, 16.3, and 16.3.13 (Gambling).
This was due to the ad being “Served to a user of the website who was known to be under 18 by their registered login details. We considered that the ad was directed at those below the age of 18 through the selection of the media in which it appeared and therefore breached the Code,” read the statement.
The-VLF.com, said, according to the ASA report, that “they did not select the ads that appeared on their website, and once they were made aware of the complaint, they contacted their partners to have the ad removed.”
Featured image: Pexels.
