Midnite is an online gambling site that is always trying to push the boat with its marketing, but things have gone a bit too far recently. The UK’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has flagged several social media posts by the operator after receiving a complaint from University of Bristol researchers who claim the ads strongly appeal to children.
One of the posts on X was Harry Maguire’s face pasted onto the body of a Brazilian soccer star to reflect the skill level he showed when assisting one of the goals during Manchester United’s Europa League semifinal tie against Athletic Bilbao.
CAP Code breaches for showcasing people who are younger than 25 in posts
Other soccer players who were part of ads included Harry Kane and Jack Grealish, who are deemed to likely strongly appeal to underage people. Then there were CAP Code breaches for showcasing people who are younger than 25 in posts, as Midnite used the likes of Erling Haaland, Jude Bellingham, and influencer iShowSpeed in its campaigns.
One of the University of Bristol’s lead researchers, Dr. Raffaello Rossi, said that the type of content marketing Midnite uses “blurs the lines between entertainment and advertising,” with people often not realizing it’s a gambling promotion.
