888 Cleared of Complaints Alleging Underage-Focused Poker Ad

Two complaints against 888 UK Ltd have been dismissed by the United Kingdom’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), exempting the operator from any fault. The complaints were levied at two video ads that appeared on Callum Airey’s YouTube channel and prompted a response from concerned consumers.

888 Did Not Target Underage Individuals

In the videos, the YouTuber was promoting the 888poker app, but that, the complaints stipulated, broke the advertisement rules as the content creator had a huge following among those that were under the age of 18. In turn, the complaints added, the ads had partially targeted underage individuals, and particularly children.

888 acknowledged that while one of the ads was not tagged as promotional material at first – something that the company rectified with immediate effect upon discovery – it had not targeted or built its content in a way that was designed to focus on underage individuals.

Then, 888 produced stats focusing on the demographics targeted by Airey and what his followers’ makeup actually was. According to 888, at least 75% of the people who tuned in to Airey’s YouTube channel were over the age of 18. When the audience numbers did come in, though, it turned out that only 7.5% of the followers were under the age of 18.

That, 888 argued and had a point, was well below the 25% threshold that the advertisement authority allows. The complaints were then examined by ASA, which acknowledged 888’s defense and ruled in the operator’s favor.

ASA has been an impartial regulator with an established track record of taking aim at offending ads. Previously, the watchdog struck down an ad by 777.com, dubbing it as misleading.