The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has upheld complaints regarding two adverts for LiveScore Bet displayed in the live scores and sports media LiveScore app.
According to the advertising watchdog, the complainant questioned whether under-18s had been inappropriately targeted with ads on LiveScore’s iOS and Android platforms.
The Android ad, referred to in the ASA’s ruling as ‘ad (a)’, included text that displayed live football scores and also featured the LiveScore Bet logo next to an on/off toggle.
When toggled on, three odds options were displayed under each game, with each linking through to the LiveScore Bet app.
The iOS advert, referred to as ‘ad (b)’, featured a page with football team lineups, underneath which the text stated, “Match odds” and “LiveScore Bet” along with three different odds that linked through to the LiveScore Bet app when clicked.
Users of the LiveScore app are able to select either an under-18 or over-18 version of the product, with the latter displaying gambling content and betting odds.
In communications with the ASA, LiveScore Group – parent company of LiveScore, LiveScore Bet and Virgin Bet – explained its age-gating tool is designed to stop under-18s from viewing gambling content. Gambling content is only visible to users who have declared they are over the age of 18, the company said.
LiveScore Bet carried out testing of the age-gating tool for its Android app after a user complained about seeing a gambling ad on the under-18 version of the platform.
The operator was unable to find any instance where gambling content was displayed and therefore was confident the age-gating technology was working properly at the time when the ad was supposedly visible.
With regards to the iOS, LiveScore Bet discovered a technical problem in an outdated version of the app, which enabled gambling content to be visible after selecting the under-18 option.
Internal testing discovered that even though betting odds were displayed, they didn’t link through to any additional gambling content.
LiveScore Bet also attested that the current version of the app was working correctly, and the issue had been confined to a singular historic version of the iOS app, which would have affected a small number of users.
The ASA eventually upheld the original complaint and has subsequently advised LiveScore to ensure its ads are appropriately targeted in the future.
An ASA statement said: “We acknowledged Livescore Bet’s view that the majority of LiveScore app users were adults.
“However, we considered that because there was an option to self-verify as under-18, that version of the app should not have featured gambling ads because those ads, due to the stated target audience, would have been directed at under-18s. We therefore assessed whether the ads appeared in the under-18 version of the app.
“We acknowledged LiveScore Bet’s view that ad (a) had been viewed on an Android device and that they had been unable to replicate the ad appearing within the under-18 version the app. However, we had seen the ad appear in the under-18 version.
“Because we had viewed the ad on that version, we considered it had appeared in a medium specifically designed for under-18s and that it had not been appropriately targeted.”
The ASA added that the technical breach experienced on the iOS app still constituted a breach of advertising regulations, even though it was done in error.
“Although we acknowledged LiveScore Bet’s view that the ad had been displayed in that version because of a technical problem, we considered that because it appeared in a medium specifically designed for under-18s, it had not been appropriately targeted.
“Whilst we accepted the ads had been seen because of a technical fault, because the ads appeared in the context of a version of an app that was directed at under-18s, they did not comply with the rules on gambling advertising.”
In response, LiveScore Bet expressed its disappointment at the ASA’s ruling, highlighting the fact that the operator’s testing never uncovered an issue with displaying ads on the Android app.
A LiveScore Bet spokesperson said: “Nothing is more important to us than the safety of our customers, and LiveScore Bet is committed to responsible advertising practices.
“Given its audience demographics, the selection of LiveScore as a media partner is within the ASA’s threshold for publishers of gambling adverts, and any exposure to gambling-related content was entirely unintentional.
“Despite multiple waves of testing, [we feel] the first ad (ad a) has still never been verified as accurate, and only the second ad (ad b) was proven to have been shown to a self-declared under-18 user because of an (at the time) unknown bug that was confined to a single app release and impacted only a small number of LiveScore users.
“LiveScore Bet has nothing to gain from under-18s seeing our adverts, given that such an audience cannot use our products.”
LiveScore Bet added that it felt harshly penalised regarding the use of its age-gating technology, while adding that the complaint was only flagged because the tool is in use in the first place.
The spokesperson said: “The age-gating safeguard goes beyond regulatory requirements and reflects LiveScore Bet’s and LiveScore’s commitment to responsible advertising.
“We’re disappointed by this ruling following a technical bug in this safeguarding, when the safeguarding itself brings about a net positive benefit to the experience for LiveScore’s general user base, and is designed to align with the ASA’s principles on responsible advertising.
“We feel it’s important to note that if LiveScore didn’t have age-gating in place, the complaint could not have been upheld.”
Back in March, the ASA upheld a complaint lodged against PokerStars relating to the use of YouTube personalities in an ad broadcast on Instagram.
The post ASA upholds complaint against LiveScore Bet after ads viewed by under-18s first appeared on EGR Intel.
Operator left “disappointed” by ruling and says age-gating failure was caused by a technical error in an outdated iOS version of the LiveScore app
The post ASA upholds complaint against LiveScore Bet after ads viewed by under-18s first appeared on EGR Intel.