The UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has criticised Mr Vegas after ruling that one of its Facebook casino adverts contained imagery likely to strongly appeal to people under the age of 18.
The case focused on a paid social media promotion from the operator, which featured several online slot titles, including Pink Elephants 2, Razor Returns, Sweet Bonanza and Big Bass Bonanza. The games used colourful artwork and animated-style characters as part of their branding.
Mr Vegas defended the campaign, explaining that the featured images came directly from regulated slot games created by established developers for adult players. The operator argued that cartoon-style graphics alone should not automatically be considered unsuitable and said the advert was targeted only at users aged 18 and above through Meta’s advertising tools.
The company also highlighted that responsible gambling messages, age restrictions and safer gambling logos were included in the promotion.
However, the ASA determined that some of the creative elements carried a strong risk of attracting younger audiences. The regulator raised concerns about the pink elephant character from Pink Elephants 2, describing its appearance as more playful than intimidating. It also highlighted the robotic shark design from Razor Returns, saying such animated fantasy characters could appeal to children.
The authority acknowledged that Mr Vegas had applied age-targeting controls but pointed to research showing that some under-18 users still access Facebook despite age restrictions.
While the ASA did not find every featured game problematic, it concluded that the overall advert breached advertising standards. Mr Vegas has been told that the campaign must not appear again in the same form and that future gambling promotions should avoid content with strong appeal to minors.