2026-05-27 15:00:56
The Advertising Standards Authority has banned two Instagram gambling adverts featuring Harry Kane and Erling Haaland after ruling the promotions were “irresponsible” because the football stars had a “strong appeal” to under-18s.
The adverts, posted by betting comparison platform Oddschecker in November, appeared on Instagram and promoted betting markets linked to Kane and Haaland.
The ruling comes amid growing scrutiny of gambling advertising in football and online sport content, with campaigners and regulators increasingly concerned about the exposure of children to betting promotions through social media.
Kane remains England captain and Bayern Munich’s star striker following another prolific season in Germany, while Haaland continues to dominate headlines after helping Manchester City challenge again for major honours under Pep Guardiola.
Both footballers are among the most recognisable players in the world and feature heavily in video games, merchandise and online football culture popular with younger audiences.
The ASA said: “For those reasons, we concluded the ads were irresponsible and breached the code.”
It added there was “at least a significant number of children who had not used their real date of birth when signing up” to Instagram.
One of the adverts showed Kane alongside the caption: “Harry Kane is the most backed player to win the Ballon d’Or in 2026 (32 percent of bets),” followed by a trophy emoji.
The second featured Haaland with the caption: “In the last 24 hours, Norway to win the 2026 World Cup is the most-backed bet placed through oddschecker.”
ASA bosses launched an investigation after receiving a complaint from a researcher at Bristol University.
According to the group, the adverts breached advertising rules designed to prevent gambling promotions from strongly appealing to children or young people.
Oddschecker, operated by Cyan Blue Odds Ltd, argued the Instagram posts were “primarily editorial in nature, rather than ads” and said its Instagram account had been set so only users aged over 18 could access the content.
The company also said it recognised that featuring elite footballers could attract younger audiences.
However, the ASA rejected the defence, concluding both Kane and Haaland carried a high risk of appealing strongly to under-18s.
The watchdog also noted concerns about age verification on social media platforms, saying there was “at least a significant number of children who had not used their real date of birth when signing up” to Instagram.
The ruling adds to wider debate surrounding gambling sponsorship and advertising within football.
Betting firms remain heavily involved across the sport through shirt sponsorships, stadium advertising and online partnerships, despite mounting political pressure for tighter restrictions.
Premier League clubs previously agreed to phase out front-of-shirt gambling sponsors, although betting branding remains widespread throughout the game.
Kane, who previously starred for Tottenham Hotspur before joining Bayern Munich, has long been one of the faces of English football and captained England during multiple major tournaments, including the Euro 2024 campaign.
Haaland, meanwhile, has become one of football’s most marketable global stars during his record-breaking spell at Manchester City, where his goalscoring feats have made him one of the defining players of the modern Premier League era.
The ASA separately ruled that another Instagram gambling advert featuring former Arsenal striker and television pundit Thierry Henry did not breach its rules.
The Betway advert included an image of Henry, but the regulator concluded he was unlikely to have strong appeal to under-18s.
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