METHODOLOGY

How we verify cases and sources

Every enforcement case and every source on Jurisdexa traces back to a page published by the body that made the decision. This page explains what we accept as a source, what we record, and what a published notice can and cannot tell you.

What counts as a source

For enforcement, the source is the regulator's or advertising authority's own publication: a Gambling Commission public statement, an ASA ruling, an AGCO notice, or a state regulator's order, consent agreement or meeting record. Trade press helps us find decisions but is not the source; where we could only find a press report, the entry is marked as secondary until we locate the official notice.

For the source directory, we open each link and confirm it is the official page, on the regulator's own domain, before listing it. Some official sites block automated checks; those links are marked ‡ and should be opened directly.

What we record

For each case: the date the decision was published, the body that made it, the operator or advertiser named, the type of action, the amount where there is one, the failings the regulator identified, and the link. For each briefing: the jurisdiction, the scope, the date sources were checked and the date of the next review, shown in the evidence record at the top of the page.

Totals and counts on our pages are our own calculations from the listed cases and are labelled as such.

Reading a decision carefully

A regulatory settlement is an agreed outcome, not a court finding. An ASA ruling applies to the specific advertisement it assessed. A notice of monetary penalty in Ontario can be appealed. A state consent agreement may resolve allegations without an admission. We describe each decision in the regulator's own terms and avoid adding conclusions it did not draw. Our guide to reading an enforcement notice explains the main formats.

Reviews and corrections

Enforcement trackers are reviewed monthly and the source directory quarterly, or sooner when a regulator changes its site. Errors are corrected and logged on our editorial standards page.

Limits

We list only decisions that are published. Many regulators resolve matters privately, and some publish only summaries. A missing case does not mean no action was taken, and a large fine does not by itself say how a business operates today. Who runs the site is set out on our about page, and the conditions for using our material are in our terms of use.