Google Updates Gambling Ad Policies, Clarifies Affiliate Requirements
Google has released an updated version of its Gambling and Games policy, detailing how advertisers and affiliates can promote gambling-related content through Google Ads. The company says the stricter guidelines are intended to ensure compliance with local gambling laws, protect minors from gambling-related ads, and uphold responsible advertising standards.
We support responsible gambling advertising and require that advertisers abide by local gambling laws and industry standards. Gambling and online gambling-promoting content ads and destinations must also only target approved countries, have a landing page that displays information about responsible gambling, and never target minors.
Who Is Affected?
- Paid Advertisers: The policy directly impacts businesses and individuals who want to run paid ads on Google Ads—including Search, Display, and YouTube—that promote online casinos, sports betting, social casino games, and affiliate gambling sites.
- Casino Affiliates: Affiliate sites that compare or review gambling services (such as online casinos) are allowed to advertise under specific conditions, including acquiring Google’s gambling certification and ensuring they only promote licensed services in approved countries.
Country-Specific Restrictions
Under the revised guidelines, not all countries permit online gambling ads—even if the advertiser is properly licensed. Countries such as China, Hong Kong, and Turkey, among others, continue to ban most forms of gambling and gambling-related promotion outright. Advertisers and affiliates are urged to review local laws and Google’s country-by-country list to avoid potential violations.
Social Casino Games Also Covered
The new policy further outlines that social casino games—simulated gambling-style games where no real money is won—also require a separate Google Ads certification if advertisers wish to promote them. According to Google, social casino games must:
- Include disclaimers noting that they target users of legal gambling age.
- Avoid using any branding that closely resembles real-money gambling services.
- Disclose if there are in-app purchases.
Penalties for Non-Compliance
Google warns that failing to meet these certification requirements, misrepresenting the nature of advertised content, or targeting disallowed regions can lead to ad disapproval, account suspension, and permanent bans from Google’s advertising platforms. The company states:
Submitting false information as part of your application or relying on certification under this policy to advertise products not permitted by it will result in suspension.
Looking Ahead
While these policy updates mostly affect paid advertising strategies, they highlight Google’s growing emphasis on enforcing stricter gambling regulations online. Experts in the affiliate gambling space say this could lead to more scrutiny—and potentially tighter rules—on operators and affiliates in the future.
