Online gambling operators and tipsters are scrambling after the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) and Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice (BCAP) published tightened guidance on 14 October 2025 that redefines what counts as advertising likely to have “strong appeal” to under-18s. The update, aimed squarely at social media, influencer promotions and sports-linked marketing, is already driving immediate changes to campaign strategies, affiliate practices and how players receive tips and advice online.
What changed and why it matters
CAP’s revised guidance replaces the previous “particular appeal” test with a sharper “strong appeal” standard and adds detailed, practical tests for social platforms – including a rule-of-thumb that a combined total of 100,000 under-18 followers across platforms is indicative of strong youth appeal. The guidance also clarifies distinctions between “adult-centric” and “non-adult-centric” sports, tightens controls on animation and youth-oriented aesthetics, and introduces a new context test that forces advertisers to evaluate where and how content appears. The full CAP announcement can be read here: CAP and BCAP update guidance on protecting under-18s in gambling and lotteries advertising.
Regulators say the move responds to evidence of high exposure of minors to gambling messages – the Gambling Commission’s 2024 youth survey found extensive ad contact among 11- to 17-year-olds – and a string of ASA rulings that highlighted gaps in how social and unpaid content was policed. “The change brings much-needed clarity to modern digital marketing,” an industry compliance executive commented. “But it also raises the compliance bar substantially.”
Industry impact – affiliates, tipsters and platforms
Operators, major affiliates and influencer networks report urgent compliance audits and paused campaigns. Several mid-sized offshore operators told industry outlets they face six-figure annual compliance costs to monitor social content, vet talent and maintain documentary trails. Platforms and advertisers must now consider an influencer’s entire audience composition — not only the followers on the platform where a post appears — before commissioning or sharing promotional material.
The guidance also echoes broader global shifts: major ad platforms tightened gambling-ad certification in 2025, and some social networks have broadened gambling restrictions. In the UK, CAP’s change has effectively closed a previously exploited loophole allowing non-UK-registered operators to publish unpaid social content aimed at British users without CAP oversight. From 1 September 2025 the CAP Code applies to UK-licensed operators regardless of registration jurisdiction, and the October update deepens practical obligations on content.
That regulatory squeeze is already altering how tips and advice appear online. Tipsters who rely on video shorts, meme-led posts or celebrity-style promotion face heightened scrutiny because youth-appeal thresholds may now apply. Some affiliate sites have moved game tiles and banners behind login walls or removed promotional graphics visible pre-login to avoid contravening the new rules.
Broader regulatory and market context
Outside the UK, regulatory trends are also reshaping the landscape. In the United States, debate continues state-by-state: California’s recent legislative tussle over banning sweepstakes-style casinos — including pushback from tribal groups and lobbyists — underscores the patchwork nature of U.S. regulation and the likelihood of divergent approaches to influencer marketing and unlicensed operators. Meanwhile, countries such as Ireland and parts of Europe have tightened advertising windows and created new regulatory bodies focused on harm reduction.
Public-health advocates and gambling-harm charities welcomed CAP’s guidance, calling for even tougher restrictions on influencer marketing and inducements. Industry groups warned of collateral damage to legitimate marketing and raised concerns about uneven enforcement capacity across platforms.
What to watch next
Operators and tip providers must now balance commercial goals with tightened compliance checks: expect more pre-clearance of influencer content, increased use of age-gating and a rise in legal and compliance staffing across the sector. Regulators will likely test the guidance through further ASA rulings; advertisers should watch for enforcement cases that refine the 100,000-followers guidance and the new context tests.
For players and consumers, the immediate change may be fewer flashy social promotions and more generic, text-based advertising – but the debate over whether these measures reduce youth exposure or simply push promotions into harder-to-monitor corners will continue through 2026 as enforcement outcomes and platform policies evolve.