Ireland’s advertising regulator has issued a warning to TonyBet after determining that two of the operator’s YouTube ads breached national gambling advertising rules by portraying gambling as a way to earn money—an approach explicitly prohibited under Irish standards.
Ads Framed Gambling as a Source of Income
The Advertising Standards Authority for Ireland (ASAI) found that one TonyBet ad showed a man gambling on the app while sitting on a toilet, accompanied by the line “only 3% of people can do this” and a suggestion that users could “make money while sitting on the toilet.” Regulators ruled that this messaging implied gambling is a reliable way to generate income and downplayed the risks involved.
TonyBet said the wording was the result of human error that slipped through internal checks and that the third‑party agency responsible for uploading the ad failed to conduct a compliance review. The operator acknowledged the breach and accepted responsibility.
Second Ad Repeated the Same Violation
A separate YouTube ad featured a woman holding a baby and stating, “It’s hard to pay my rent and take care of my babies, but I made $8,500 last month.” The ASAI concluded that this ad also suggested gambling could solve financial hardship, particularly for vulnerable individuals.
As with the first case, TonyBet attributed the violation to an affiliate partner and confirmed that the ad did not meet its own advertising guidelines.
Previous Regulatory Issues in the Netherlands
This is not TonyBet’s first run‑in with regulators. In the Netherlands, the company was previously warned for failing to provide 24/7 Dutch‑language customer service, a requirement for all licensed operators. Months later, Dutch authorities reprimanded TonyBet again for offering bets on the Ballon d’Or and Ballon d’Or Club World Cup awards—markets prohibited because they rely on jury voting rather than athletic performance and can be influenced.
TonyBet’s repeated issues across jurisdictions highlight the growing regulatory scrutiny on gambling advertising, especially when messaging risks misleading or exploiting vulnerable audiences.
