ASA upholds complaint over bonus ad on self-exclusion search

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has ruled that a betting affiliate's search ad was irresponsibly targeted because it appeared after someone searched for "self exclusion bookies". The ruling, published on 28 October 2026, is against Optival Ltd, which runs a UK betting comparison website. The ASA upheld the complaint.

The ad was a paid search result seen on 10 August. It promoted a list of "Top 15 Betting Sites UK" and invited readers to "Claim your Exclusive First Bet Bonus" and "Discover the Best Welcome Bonus Offers". One person complained that the ad was irresponsibly targeted.

What Optival said

Optival told the ASA it had never targeted the phrase "self exclusion bookies". It said it kept dedicated negative keyword lists to block searches about self-exclusion, GamStop and problem gambling, and that its Google Ads search term reports showed no search containing "self exclusion" triggering its ads. In Optival's account, the ad was most likely shown through the platform's automated query matching, in an isolated case below the platform's reporting thresholds. It said it would expand its negative keyword exclusions across all current and future campaigns.

Why the ASA ruled against it

The ASA said someone searching "self exclusion bookies" was likely looking for information or support on how to limit their exposure to gambling, and that this group was likely to include vulnerable people. An ad offering "the Best Welcome Bonus Offers" was not appropriate in that context.

Being an affiliate rather than a bookmaker did not change that. The ASA noted that the ad still had the effect of promoting betting sites. Because of the potential for considerable harm, it said marketers placing gambling-related ads should have "extremely robust controls in place" to stop ads being targeted inappropriately. It welcomed Optival's promise to expand its exclusions, but said robust measures "should have already been in place".

The ASA found a breach of CAP Code (Edition 12) rule 1.3 on social responsibility. The ad must not be served after the search "self exclusion bookies" again, and Optival must make sure its search ads are responsibly targeted.

What it means

In our reading, Optival's explanation that it never targeted the phrase and that automated matching was the likely cause did not change the outcome: the ASA found its targeting controls had not been sufficiently robust. The ASA expects marketers placing gambling-related ads, affiliates included, to have "extremely robust controls in place" to stop ads being targeted inappropriately.

The ASA found this ad breached CAP Code rule 1.3 (social responsibility).

The ruling fits a wider tightening of how gambling is marketed. Gambling Commission research found that "not on GamStop" searches have become a main route to illegal sites, a House of Lords committee has recommended a comprehensive ban on gambling advertising, and Denmark's bill L 37 would restrict how operators pay affiliates.

If you want to block gambling sites and ads, GamStop covers online operators licensed in Great Britain, and free support is available from the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133.