Betway ordered to Pull F1 ad featuring Hamilton reference

Betway’s effort to limit its British Grand Prix-themed ad to Facebook users over 25 did not satisfy the Advertising Standards Authority, which concluded that minors could still view the content and upheld a complaint noting Lewis Hamilton’s broad public recognition and millions of young social media followers.

The paid Facebook ad was seen on July 4, 2025, and featured a video of three Formula One drivers standing in the grandstand from behind with two Union Jack flags shown either side of the drivers. The middle driver wore a red uniform with the name “HAMILTON” across the back, and the heading stated “WHO’S THE BEST OF THE BRITS?”. The Betway logo was visible throughout the video.

Text in the caption stated: “It’s the British GP this weekend and there’s more than one local hero vying for top spot at Silverstone. Will Hamilton maintain his home track dominance? Or can the new gen achieve legendary status? [chequered flag emoji] [trophy emoji].”

A complaint challenged whether the ad included an individual who was likely to be of strong appeal to under-18s and therefore breached the CAP Code. The ASA reviewed the ad under CAP Code rule 16.3.12, which covers gambling marketing communications that may appeal strongly to children or young persons.

Betway said the image was meant to represent Sir Lewis Hamilton but that “it was not actually an image of him.” The operator explained that refraining from showing his face and opting for “a back-of-head shot” limited any appeal to younger viewers. Betway maintained the driver’s involvement in the ad was minimal and said the inclusion contributed to “a broader conversation about the British Grand Prix.”

Betway referenced CAP guidance categorizing sportspeople in adult-oriented sports as “moderate risk” and provided data indicating Hamilton had 1.6 million under-18 followers out of 39.7 million on Instagram and 92,400 under-18 followers out of 1.4 million on TikTok. Betway said it did not have details on declared under-18 followers on Facebook or X, but stated Hamilton had a total audience of 6.3 million on Facebook and 8.5 million on X.

It also said the ad ran for a limited time, used age-control settings targeting users aged over 25, and generated 16,349 engagements, with the largest age group being 45 years and over (95% engagement) and the smallest age group being 25–34 (0.75% engagement).

The ASA viewed the figure in the ad as clearly recognizable and stated that consumers, including those under 18, would have “clearly recognised the figure as being Sir Lewis Hamilton.”

The regulator noted Hamilton’s “joint-record seven Formula One World Drivers’ Championship titles” and his large social media following, indicating a “strong appeal” to under-18s. It also pointed to Ofcom research showing that children sometimes register on Facebook without accurate age information, meaning they could access gambling-related content.

ASA concluded that “the ad was irresponsible and breached the Code.”

The authority ruled that the advertisement violated CAP Code (Edition 12) rules 16.1, 16.3 and 16.3.12 and instructed Betway that the ad “must not appear again in its current form” and not to include “a person or character who had strong appeal to those under 18 years of age.”