ASA Clears White Hat Gaming Casino Ads On Counter-Strike Website HLTV
The UK advertising regulator found insufficient evidence that under-18s accounted for more than 25% of HLTV’s audience, despite the website lacking reliable age data.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has rejected a complaint against White Hat Gaming over casino advertisements displayed on HLTV, a website dedicated to competitive Counter-Strike, after finding insufficient evidence that the ads breached audience age restrictions.
The ruling, published on 16 September 2026, concerned advertisements for White Hat Gaming brands Casimba and The Grand Ivy Casino. The promotions appeared on an HLTV match page alongside Counter-Strike 2 statistics, betting odds and links to gambling operators.
The complaint questioned whether the advertisements had been placed in an environment where more than 25% of the audience was under 18, which would breach the relevant provisions of the CAP Code.
HLTV Unable To Provide Reliable Website Audience Data
During the investigation, White Hat Gaming submitted age information relating to customers referred from HLTV to its casino websites. The figures indicated that most registered customers were over 25, although the ASA considered this evidence of limited relevance to the complaint.
The regulator noted that individuals completing registration with the casinos were already required to be adults. Consequently, the data could not establish the age profile of HLTV's wider audience, including visitors who viewed the advertisements without subsequently registering.
HLTV was unable to provide reliable age demographic information for visitors to its website. However, the platform supplied figures from its social media channels, showing that users aged 13 to 17 represented 1.5% of its Instagram audience and accounted for 3.6% of interactions on X.
Although these figures did not provide a definitive breakdown of website visitors, they formed part of the evidence considered during the investigation.
ASA Examines Counter-Strike Match Page
The ASA also assessed the content and presentation of the specific webpage on which the advertisements appeared. The page featured professional Counter-Strike match information, team and player statistics, and other material relating to competitive esports.
The regulator considered whether the surrounding content and available audience information indicated that children were likely to account for more than a quarter of the page's visitors.
Ultimately, the ASA concluded that it had not seen evidence demonstrating that the proportion of under-18s exceeded the CAP Code's 25% threshold. The complaint was therefore not upheld, and no further action was required in relation to the advertisements.
The decision does not establish a verified age breakdown for HLTV's website audience. Rather, it reflects the regulator's conclusion that the available evidence was insufficient to demonstrate a breach of the relevant advertising rules.
