AI tackles gambling adverts in the UK
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9 Jun 2026 •
Reading time: 3 minutes
In a few days’ time, the Committee of Advertising Practice will roll out its automated monitoring system to combat, amongst other things, adverts for illegal gambling.
From 11 June 2026, the Committee of Advertising Practice, the UK’s advertising regulator, will roll out a brand-new automated monitoring system, Active Ad Monitoring, nationwide. This new tool will enable the thorough screening of promotional content across various digital channels to eradicate non-compliant advertising practices.
Combating illegal advertising
Designed to overcome the physical limitations of manual checks, the Active Ad Monitoring system is an AI platform based on cutting-edge machine learning models. It is capable of processing a massive volume of multimedia data in real time. The system combines feeds from public sources, the regulator’s internal analysis tools and proprietary databases to scan the digital ecosystem.
Every month, the infrastructure already processes more than 100,000 advertisements across various sectors, a volume that human teams could not handle on their own.
The algorithm has been trained to identify specific non-compliance criteria, including textual semantics, visual design and the nature of financial incentives. As soon as an anomaly is detected in a search result or a social media post, the artificial intelligence isolates the suspicious content. The advertisement is then submitted, via a dedicated web interface, to human reviewers who validate or refute the identified infringement before initiating regulatory proceedings.
Absolute protection of minors on social media
The focus of this targeted verification campaign is on compliance with Rule 16.3.12 of the advertising code of ethics, which prohibits any communication that is highly appealing to persons under the age of 18.
Social media platforms, due to their algorithmic structure and the high concentration of a young audience, are at the forefront of this crackdown. Regulators have recently updated their assessment criteria to precisely define the visual styles, themes or types of influencers considered particularly appealing to minors.
A very broad scope
The scope of Active Ad Monitoring is not limited to paid advertising space purchased by casino or sports betting operators. Monitoring is strictly extended to organic content marketing, including direct posts by brands on their own official accounts, as well as affiliate marketing.
The regulator has expressed serious concerns about the recurrence of playful visuals or digital partnerships appearing in feeds viewed extensively by teenagers. iGaming companies will have to adapt and review their entire influencer campaigns as well as their visual guidelines to avoid any visual ambiguity.
A range of sanctions in collaboration with the UK Gambling Commission
Operators whose advertising campaigns are flagged by the automated system will be required to amend or remove the offending content without delay.
In the event of refusal to comply or a repeat offence detected by the algorithm, the regulator will activate direct partnerships with hosting platforms to secure the forced removal of business accounts.
Furthermore, the most problematic cases will be immediately referred to the UK Gambling Commission, the sector’s regulatory body in the UK. The Commission has extensive enforcement powers, including the ability to impose heavy fines based on operators’ turnover, and even to suspend operating licences in the UK either temporarily or permanently.