The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), the UK’s media watchdog, has issued a blocking order against an advertisement put forth by Midnite, a prominent and licensed operator in the jurisdiction.
ASA Orders Midnite to Discontinue Ad Showing Frustrations and Then Switching to Gambling as Relief
The Midnite advertising campaign in question received 125 complaints against it, with the ASA intervening accordingly.
The advertising run was available on TV, video-on-demand and radio between April 2026 and May 2026, and represented characters who experienced everyday frustrations before finding what appeared to be appeasement in gambling.
The ASA reviewed the complaints and sided with those, arguing that the campaign was indeed harmful in the sense that it suggested that gambling could prove palliative for everyday problems, and thus may create the wrong association in viewers.
“We concluded that the ads suggested gambling could provide an escape from problems and portrayed and encouraged gambling behaviour that was socially irresponsible and could lead to financial, social or emotional harm,” ASA argued in a statement.
However, Midnite pushed back and said that its ads were created to focus on everyday annoyances, such as vending machines, malfunctioning apps, and they like, and that any exertion or frustration shown in the ad was not a sign of serious distress, but intended for comic relief only.
ASA Continues to Monitor Advertising Space for Perceived Infringements
Mdnite also noted that its ads prominently featured the customary responsible gambling signage, such as Gamble Aware and 18+. Clearcast sided with Midnite, arguing that the events depicted in the ad campaign were meant to be humorous, but the ASA doubled down that the repeated frustrations led to a “sense of stress,” and that gambling could offer “relief.”
The ASA has told the company to refrain from offering the ad in its same form, effective immediately. Previously, the ASA looked into an ad by Betway which tapped former Arsenal striker Thierry Henry for its campaign, but ultimately cleared the company of any wrongdoing.
However, the regulator took a dim view of Oddschecker using the imagery of Harry Kane and Erling Haaland, arguing that a social media post was designed to encourage gambling, tapping into the soccer players’ popularity.