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LiveScore Betting & Gaming took a regulatory hit this week. The Gibraltar-licensed operator got an upheld ruling from the Advertising Standards Authority.
The complaint centred on LiveScore Bet ads appearing in the under-18 version of the LiveScore sports app. Two specific ads were flagged on January 10, 2025.
Both LiveScore and LiveScore Bet operate under the same corporate umbrella called LiveScore Group. But they’re supposed to be separate products with different audiences.
The first ad appeared on an Android device showing live football scores. It featured the LiveScore Bet logo with betting odds that linked directly to the gambling app.
The second ad showed up on an iOS device displaying team lineups. A banner displayed “Match odds” and betting options alongside required warnings about responsible gambling.
The LiveScore app uses age verification when people first open it. Users pick either “Under 18” or “18 & Over” to access different app versions.
The under-18 version shouldn’t show gambling content at all. That’s the whole point of having two separate versions.
LiveScore Bet selected the sports app as an advertising partner because most users are adults. They believed their age-gating tools would prevent kids from seeing gambling content.
But the system broke down. Gambling odds and LiveScore Bet promotions appeared where kids could see them.
The ASA said this violated rules about gambling ads targeting under-18s. Even if it was accidental, the damage was done.
Two different technical problems caused the violations. On Android devices, LiveScore Bet couldn’t replicate the issue when they tested it afterward.
The company insisted their age-gating worked properly. They found no proof of technical problems on Android systems.
But the ASA had seen the gambling ads in the under-18 version themselves. That evidence was enough for them to uphold the complaint.
On iOS devices, LiveScore Bet admitted there was a definite problem. A technical fault in an older app version let gambling content slip through to under-18 users.
They claimed the issue only affected a small number of people. The current iOS version supposedly works correctly now.
The ruling sets a clear precedent for age-gated gambling ads. Technical problems don’t excuse violations of under-18 protection rules.
LiveScore Bet must ensure their ads never appear in the under-18 app version again. The ASA’s action order is pretty straightforward about this requirement.
The case highlights problems with self-declared age verification systems. But that doesn’t matter legally under current rules.
Apps with under-18 sections can’t show gambling content there, period. The ASA ruled the ads breached rules on social responsibility and gambling advertising.
Other gambling operators will likely review their own age-gating systems now. Nobody wants an ASA ruling like this on their record.
