The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has issued a ruling for the second time this quarter prohibiting the use of Lewis Hamilton in betting companies’ social media marketing campaigns.

Betway was instructed to remove a Facebook post from 4 July 2025 dedicated to Formula 1. The post featured a video of three drivers filmed from behind, along with the Betway logo.

The driver standing in the middle wore a red racing suit with “Hamilton” written on the back, while the other two had no names. The headline read: “Who’s the best of the Brits?”

The complaint concerned a potential breach of the CAP advertising rules due to featuring a person who may have strong appeal to individuals under 18. The ASA upheld the complaint, reiterating that Hamilton has strong appeal among young people and is viewed as a role model.

The ASA’s statement explained: “The ad featured Sir Lewis Hamilton, who had won a joint-record seven Formula One World Drivers’ Championship titles and was recognised with a knighthood in 2021 for his outstanding achievements and contribution to motorsport.

“In his “Hall of Fame” bio on the Formula 1 website, Sir Lewis Hamilton was described as recognising his responsibility as a role model for young people, which further described that “the social media star encouraged his millions of supporters in ‘Team Hamilton’ to follow their dreams and never give up”.

The ASA clarified that it might have allowed the use of an athlete who appeals to teenagers in channels where minors can be completely excluded. However, Facebook is not such a channel.

The regulator referred to Hamilton’s 6.3 million Facebook followers (with unknown demographics), as well as his 1.6 million followers under 18 on Instagram and TikTok.

To avoid negative publicity, the betting industry is likely better off avoiding the use of Hamilton – and possibly other Formula 1 drivers – in social media and marketing materials.

Less than two months ago, the ASA published a whole series of rulings in one day, one of which concerned Hamilton’s use in a kwiff promotional post. Similar to the Betway post, the kwiff ad was published ahead of the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, which Hamilton won.

Marketing is becoming increasingly complex for operators, as CAP Code guidance includes many factors that must be taken into account. On the same day the kwiff ruling was issued, Betway was instructed to remove a post featuring Chelsea FC scarves, and Sky Bet to remove a post featuring Gary Neville. Interestingly, football pundits and former players had previously been approved by the ASA in other cases.

Following the publication of the UK budget last week, operators’ marketing expenditure is likely to decrease. Companies are forced to cut costs ahead of rising taxes, and marketing is a logical area for optimisation.

As marketing spending falls, the number of complaints may also decline – the ASA has already issued a large number of rulings this week, with researchers from the University of Bristol said to be a frequent source of complaints.

Source

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