TLDR
- The ASA ruled against Videoslots Ltd, trading as Mr Vegas, over a Facebook ad that ran in February 2026.
- The ad used cartoon-style tiles including a pink elephant, a robotic shark, candy branding, and a cartoon fisherman.
- The ASA said the imagery had strong appeal to under-18s, even though age restrictions were set on the platform.
- Mr Vegas argued the artwork was surreal rather than childlike and was aimed only at verified adult users.
- The ASA ordered the ad pulled and told Mr Vegas to avoid content that appeals to under-18s in future campaigns.
The Advertising Standards Authority has ruled against Videoslots Ltd, which trades as Mr Vegas, over a Facebook ad. The ad ran in February 2026 and promoted new casino games.
The campaign used bright, animated imagery. This included a pink elephant, a robotic shark, a candy-themed logo, and a cartoon fisherman.
The ASA found that the visuals carried strong appeal to under-18s. This was true even though age restrictions were set on the platform.
The regulator shared its decision in a release on Wednesday. It said gambling ads must avoid content likely to resonate with children, even when the games are licensed for adults.
Mr Vegas said the artwork was part of the games’ branding and was meant for adult players. The company said controls were in place to stop minors from seeing the ad.
Mr Vegas Argued Ads Were More Surreal Than Childlike
The Facebook campaign showed five tiles for different slot games. “Pink Elephants 2” featured a large pink cartoon elephant on a lilac background.
“Razor Returns” showed a metallic shark with exaggerated teeth against a bright seascape. “Sweet Bonanza” used colorful, bubbly text on a candy-themed backdrop.
“Big Bass Bonanza” showed a fisherman holding a large fish. Mr Vegas included responsible gambling logos such as “18+,” “BeGambleAware.org,” and “GAMSTOP.”
The company said the ad was limited to adult audiences through Meta’s targeting tools. It said the elephant was surreal rather than child-like, the shark was aggressive rather than cute, and the fisherman was clearly an adult character.
Mr Vegas also said candy imagery is common in adult entertainment. It pointed to Meta’s age-gating features and audience exclusions as proof the ad only reached adults.
ASA Said Ad Resembled Ice Age Movie
The ASA reviewed the ad against the CAP Code, which bars gambling ads from having strong appeal to under-18s. The regulator said the pink elephant looked similar to imagery from children’s cartoons and storybooks.
It compared the design to the Ice Age film franchise. The robotic shark was also seen as risky because of its exaggerated features.
The fisherman was judged more lifelike and less likely to appeal to children. The Sweet Bonanza tile was not found to contain child-oriented characters.
The ASA pointed to research showing many under-18s use Facebook, often with accounts listing false ages. This meant children could still see the ad despite the targeting controls Mr Vegas used.
The ruling stated the ad was irresponsible and breached the Code. The ASA ordered that it must not appear again in its current form.
Mr Vegas was told to avoid content likely to appeal to under-18s in future campaigns.
