LiveScore Bet blamed a bug, but under-18 gambling ads still broke the rules
Two gambling ads slipped past the age gates for under-18 gambling ads. Now the ASA has come knocking, and LiveScore Bet is on the defensive. The UKs Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has upheld a complaint against LiveScore Bet after two of its in-app gambling adverts were found to have appeared in the under-18 version of the LiveScore football scores app.
The breach, observed on January 10, 2025, raises serious questions about the effectiveness of current age-gating technology in preventing under-18 gambling ads and whether technical faults should be used as a justification for regulatory lapses.
ASA confirms breach of ad rules
The incident centres around two ads shown in the LiveScore mobile app: one on Android and the other on iOS. Both promoted betting odds linked to LiveScore Bet.
- Ad (a) appeared alongside football scores with a toggle that revealed odds and app links.
- Ad (b) was displayed on a team lineup page with match odds and a clear Ad label, along with standard responsible gambling messaging.
People saw these ads in the under-18 version of the app, a version specifically designed to exclude any gambling-related content. This triggered the ASAs intervention. Despite LiveScore Bets defence that age-gating was in place, the regulator concluded the appearance of under-18 gambling ads breached rules 1.3, 16.1, and 16.3.13 of the CAP Code.
Under-18 gambling ads slipped past safeguards
LiveScore Bets response was immediate. It acknowledged that the iOS ad was a result of a bug in an older app version. LiveScore Bet said it resolved the problem, which affected only a few users in one app version. The company stressed that the links did not lead to further gambling content.
As for the Android version, LiveScore Bet said repeated testing failed to replicate the ad. The ASA remained unconvinced. Testers still observed the ad on an Android device running the under-18 version, which meant the age-gating feature had not worked as intended.
The company insisted that since November 2020, their age gate functioned correctly, and they received no other complaints. It also argued it had nothing to gain from under-18 users seeing gambling content since they cannot use the product. The recent partnership with Hacksaw Gaming marked another milestone for LiveScore Bets UK strategy, but regulatory scrutiny reminds the industry that expansion without airtight safeguards carries consequences.
What went wrong on Android and iOS
At the core of LiveScores design is a self-declared age gate. On the first launch, users must select either Under 18 or 18 & Over, which determines the version of the app they access. For minors, gambling content should be entirely removed.
LiveScore Bet described this mechanism as a voluntary, above-regulatory safeguard that goes beyond many sports media platforms, which display gambling ads to all users by default.
That argument held little sway with the ASA. Once a platform designs a version for minors, the regulator expects it to exclude all gambling content, regardless of intent or error.
Why safeguards didnt save the ruling
The ASA has been consistent in its strict application of advertising rules around gambling. Under the CAP Code, any gambling advert that appears in media targeted explicitly at under-18s is automatically in breach, regardless of how or why it appears.
This ruling fits a growing pattern. If minors see the ad, even by accident, regulators still call it a breach unless the platform had stopped it entirely.
LiveScore Bet argued that its safeguards were industry-leading. The ASA agreed that a bug had been responsible but emphasised that safeguards which fail at the point of delivery are not enough. A minor seeing the ad breaches the rule.
How this could reshape app advertising
The implications of this decision reach beyond LiveScore Bet. The ruling sets a high standard for any gambling brand working in or around digital sports environments.
As sports media apps become more personalised and dynamic, the bar for compliance is rising. Age-gating cannot just be present; it must be watertight. Apps that serve both gambling and non-gambling audiences within the same user interface now face far greater scrutiny.
Operators will need to ensure total content separation, not just toggled features or disclaimers if they want to avoid future rulings of this kind. It’s a familiar story. Technology designed to protect often exposes the very people it was meant to shield. Just as slot machines find their way into the poorest postcodes, under-18s are seeing ads they shouldn’t.
LiveScore Bet promises stricter controls
, LiveScore Bet has moved to shore up its compliance defences. It has partnered with Rightlander to scan its digital channels for any compliance breaches, rolling out real-time monitoring and automated alerting across its app and ad environments. The company overhauled its internal age-gating protocols, patched bugs in older app versions, and revalidated its Android settings.
In a statement, the company stressed its commitment to compliance and responsible advertising while pointing to ongoing improvements in how both adults and users under 18 engage with its platform. It added that without its age-gating system, the complaint could not have been upheld in the first place, a backhanded way of suggesting that voluntary safeguards should be recognised, even when they falter.
Regardless of explanation or intent, the ASAs position was crystal clear. If under-18 gambling ads appear, it’s a breach of social responsibility rules, no exceptions, and LiveScore Bet must now ensure it never happens again.
