The UK’s advertising regulator, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), has shown how important context is for gambling ads by making two very different decisions in recent cases involving Play’n GO and Mecca Bingo.
The watchdog upheld a complaint against Play’n GO for using imagery with a strong appeal to minors, while simultaneously dismissing a similar complaint levelled against Mecca Bingo, highlighting the critical importance of context and targeting.
The case against Play’n GO centred on three banner advertisements, served programmatically in April 2025, which featured characters deemed to have a strong appeal to those under 18. These included a cartoon superhero Easter bunny, a robot DJ, and anime-style princesses.
The ASA concluded that this imagery was a clear breach of CAP Code rules that prohibit gambling ads from reflecting youth culture. A crucial factor in the ruling was that the ads were found to have been displayed alongside children’s email inboxes.
The ASA determined that the age-targeting measures in place, which were based on self-declared age and behavioural data, were not sufficiently robust to prevent this exposure, making the content non-compliant regardless of the 18+ labels and responsible gambling messages included.
In stark contrast, the ASA dismissed a complaint against a Mecca Bingo Facebook post. The post in question used a series of emojis to create a film quiz, prompting users to name movies starring Tom Hanks. The complainant argued that the cartoon-like nature of the emojis could attract children.
However, the ASA ruled that the content did not possess a strong appeal to under-18s.
The regulator’s decision was based on several key factors: the post was organic rather than paid advertising, it was targeted specifically at the adult followers of the Mecca Bingo (Luton) Facebook page, and the emojis were used in the context of a puzzle designed for adults, with no direct link to youth culture.
The ASA has instructed Play’n GO to ensure its future ads do not use child-appealing imagery unless targeting can be demonstrably restricted to an age-gated audience. No further action was required for Mecca Bingo.
