AI Betting Scandal: AI Scorecast Ad Banned Over Misleading 97% Accuracy Claim

The world of sports betting is currently undergoing a massive transformation through the use of artificial intelligence. However, where technical progress is promised, empty promises often lurk. On October 14, 2026, the British Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) issued a ruling against the company HRY Games. The focus of the criticism is a paid Facebook advertisement for the app AI Scorecast, which lured football fans with mathematically unjustifiable predictions.

The contested advertisement claimed that an AI was capable of analyzing every football match and providing users with smarter predictions. The specific statement regarding the success rate was particularly explosive. According to the ad, the app predicted match outcomes with an accuracy rate of 97 percent. For the ASA, this constitutes a clear breach of rules regarding social responsibility and misleading advertising, as the potential risks of total loss were not mentioned at all.

Numbers and facts

The campaign by HRY Games relied on aggressive rhetoric. A video featured a man in a blue and white football shirt praising the benefits of the application. The AI could supposedly process thousands of data points within seconds to know a result instantly. The narrator in the video even claimed he had tried the app himself and correctly predicted six matches in a row. The ASA viewed this as a targeted attempt to influence consumers faced with a betting decision.

The silence of the provider is particularly heavy. HRY Games did not respond to any of the regulatory authority's inquiries. As a result, the ASA additionally established a breach of Rule 1.7 of the CAP Code, which prohibits unreasonable delays in the process. The authority ordered that the advertisement must never appear again in its current form.

"The ad emphasised potential success and profits but did not mention the possibility of incorrect predictions or financial losses. Consumers could interpret the 97% accuracy claim as meaning that the service was very likely to help them make money from betting." - Spokesperson for the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA)

Background

This case is not an isolated step. Recently, the provider Midnite also came under fire. A TikTok advertisement from July 3 was banned because an AI-generated character gave the impression of being under 25 years old. The affiliate agency Limay Media had formulated the prompt for the AI so imprecisely that the character's age was not clearly identifiable as an adult. Midnite reacted drastically and immediately terminated the contract with the partner.

The ASA now uses an AI-based system called Active Ad Monitoring to scour the internet for rule violations. In the run-up to the World Cup alone, nearly 10,000 advertising contents were reviewed. The message from the regulators is clear: the use of automated tools does not absolve the advertiser of their responsibility. Whether deepfakes of celebrities or exaggerated profit promises through algorithms - existing advertising laws apply in a technology-neutral manner.

Why it matters for German players

For German sports betting fans, this decision is an important signal. The German State Treaty on Gambling 2021 (GlüStV 2021) places extremely high requirements on advertising design. In Germany, misleading statements about winning chances are strictly prohibited. Apps promising a "97 percent certainty" would have no chance of legal distribution in this country. Players must know that such mathematical guarantees simply do not exist in the gambling sector.

Furthermore, the German system offers a safe space through the Joint Gambling Authority of the States (GGL) and the whitelist. Anyone betting with a provider licensed in Germany is subject to the stake limit of 1 Euro per spin for slots or corresponding protective mechanisms for sports betting. The cross-provider deposit limit of 1,000 Euro per month, monitored via the LUGAS system, also prevents users from being driven into financial ruin by such AI promises. German players should be particularly careful with offers outside of GGL regulation (such as MGA or Curacao casinos), as they often advertise using similar misleading methods.

What it means for GGL-licensed casinos

Licensed operators in Germany must strictly control their marketing partners, such as affiliates. The Midnite case shows that a mistake by a sub-contractor can become a licensing risk. German casinos on the whitelist must ensure that AI-generated content never appeals to minors or pretends false facts about the probability of winning. The GGL has already announced that, similar to the ASA, it will increasingly rely on automated monitoring methods to curb the black market and irregular advertising.