Fresh from its ruling clearing Buzz Bingo over a Facebook post, the ASA (Advertising Standards Agency) has dismissed a complaint against Mecca Bingo for its use of emojis within a Facebook post.
The complaint was raised over a post shared by Mecca Bingo Luton in May 2025, which featured a “Name the Tom Hanks Films” emoji quiz. The game-style post displayed a series of emojis — including a teddy bear, a child’s face, a mermaid, a rocket, and an airplane — designed to visually represent various Tom Hanks movies. The complainant argued that the creative use of emojis could attract under-18s and was therefore irresponsible under UK advertising codes.
However, in its defense, Mecca Bingo explained that the post was created by an external agency in 2022 and had been posted organically, not paid for. It wasn’t designed to promote a gambling product, but rather to engage with followers in a fun, interactive way. Importantly, they pointed out that the page’s followers are predominantly adults. Metadata confirmed that only 2.9% of followers were aged 18 to 24, with the vast majority over the age of 25.
Mecca also clarified that since the original post, the brand has tightened its social media protocols. It now has dedicated regional social media ambassadors, has refreshed internal guidance on the use of emojis, and undertook a comprehensive review of its social media library in 2024. Although the specific emoji post wasn’t initially flagged for removal, the UK bingo company has now permanently deleted it as part of its evolving marketing strategy.
The ASA agreed with Mecca’s rationale. While the CAP Code prohibits gambling ads from having a strong appeal to under-18s, the ASA concluded that this particular post did not reflect or target youth culture. The emojis used were varied and included symbols such as a briefcase, the Italian flag, and an SOS sign. The emoji puzzle was considered a general film-guessing game appealing primarily to an adult audience.
Furthermore, the ASA noted that Tom Hanks and the associated films do not typically hold strong relevance for children or younger people, further distancing the content from any perceived youth targeting.
This is the second recent ruling in favour of a bingo brand, following the ASA’s dismissal of a complaint against Buzz Bingo, which had posted an AI-generated image styled like an action figure. Despite concerns that it resembled a toy, the watchdog again ruled the post was unlikely to resonate with minors.
Responsible Marketing Still a Priority
Mecca Bingo emphasised that while they maintain the ad did not breach the rules, the brand remains committed to responsible advertising practices. Their recent updates include refreshed emoji usage policies and proactive monitoring of social content.
This ruling by the ASA reaffirms that context matters when assessing creative content in gambling-related posts — and that emojis alone are not necessarily indicative of youth appeal.
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