How to Advertise Gambling on Google and Meta

What counts as gambling advertising

In a marketing plan, gambling usually means a casino, betting product or lottery. For ad review, the label is only a starting point. Platforms look at how the product works, what the ad says and where a person goes after clicking. A service can fall under a restricted category even when the ad avoids words such as “bet” or “casino”.

Google describes gambling in functional terms. Something of value is staked on an outcome determined at least partly by chance, with the opportunity to win something of value. Its policy also covers content that directly promotes gambling activity or requires local authorisation. Meta applies its own definition to online games in which something of monetary value forms part of the entry method or prize. Its examples include betting, lotteries, raffles, casino games, fantasy sports, bingo, poker and skill tournaments.

Advertisers should therefore review the whole user journey. A platform may assess the video, ad copy, destination URL, domain, app, sign-up form, bonus terms and underlying game. Calling an ad “entertainment” does not change the nature of a destination if a user can ultimately place a bet or play at a casino.

Products near the boundary between categories need particular care. These include free-to-play apps, social casinos, contests, sweepstakes, skill games, affiliate catalogues and comparison services. Platforms may classify similar products differently. A product name or a marketing team’s view does not settle the policy classification.

How Google Ads works

Google does not allow gambling ads unless the advertiser meets the requirements for the relevant category and obtains certification. Its policy publishes the countries where online gambling and related promotion may be advertised, with requirements for each market. Permitted products vary by country. A licence somewhere in the world is not enough by itself. The advertiser must show that it may operate in the target market and obtain the Google approval that applies there.

Certification is not limited to casino operators. Google’s definitions include online content that promotes gambling. Permitted examples include affiliate and aggregator sites that provide information about or compare other gambling services. Such a destination must not itself offer gambling or link to gambling services it owns, and the promoted operators must meet the requirements for the target country. Other types of gambling promotion may not qualify under this category.

Before applying, establish who is the advertiser, who owns the site, who holds the licence and how the legal entity, operator and domain are connected. If the relationship is not clear, Google asks for documents that explain it. Under the current policy, an advertiser targeting multiple countries must submit a separate application for each country. A material change to the information on which certification was based may require recertification.

The destination site is part of the review. Google says it should prominently show an age warning, information about help for problem gambling, terms and conditions, and a footer with the licensee’s name, licence number and a privacy policy identifying the data controller. Affiliate or aggregator destinations have additional link requirements and must make clear that outbound links go only to authorised operators in the relevant geography.

Google separates gambling content from social casino games. A social casino simulates gambling but offers no chance to win anything of value. It has a separate certification path. One Google Ads account cannot hold both online gambling and social casino certifications at the same time. Requirements also apply to the ad and destination, including adult-audience targeting and disclosure of in-app purchases where required.

How Meta works

Meta requires advance permission for ads promoting online gambling and other online games covered by its policy. An advertiser requests permission through the Authorisations and Verifications area in Meta Business Suite and provides evidence that the activity is licensed or otherwise lawful in the target territory. Meta also prohibits targeting these ads to people under 18. The advertiser remains responsible for local requirements and for ensuring that the promoted activity is allowed in the selected market.

The rule reaches beyond an operator’s own gaming page. Meta applies it to ads that lead to pages promoting gambling, even when the game itself is not available on that destination. Its examples include aggregators and affiliate sites. This matters to affiliates, comparison services, media-buying agencies and brands running campaigns through an external agency. Permission does not make an otherwise ineligible product permissible.

Physical casinos and offline gambling establishments follow a different rule. Meta says some ads for real-world venues, offline events or streams of offline poker tournaments may run without online-gambling permission, provided the ad and its destination do not promote or organise online games. The policy also describes government lotteries, ordinary retail promotions and fully free games separately. Those exceptions should not automatically be applied to an online operator’s campaign.

Social casinos are treated separately too. Meta describes them as games that simulate casino play but do not offer money or another prize with monetary value. Their advertising has age and market restrictions. If players can buy or sell virtual prizes for money or its equivalent, reassess the product under the online gambling rules.

Google and Meta compared

Both platforms restrict online gambling, require advance approval and leave advertisers responsible for lawful campaigns. Their approval processes are separate. A Google certificate does not grant Meta permission, and Meta permission does not mean Google will approve a site or ad. Each platform carries out its own review.

The table is a guide. Check the advertiser, licence, domain, ad type and target market against each platform’s current rules.

Preparing a campaign

Before applying, prepare one consistent description of the project. The information should match across the ad account, company documents, licence, domain and destination page. The more inconsistencies there are, the harder it is for a reviewer to identify who provides the service and who is responsible for the ad.

1. GameList the games or bets, how users deposit, whether they can win a prize, what determines the result and where the service is actually provided.
2. RolesSeparate the operator, brand owner, licensee, agent, aggregator, affiliate and advertising agency. Prepare documents that support those relationships.
3. ScopeFor every country, check local law, product availability and the requirements of Google or Meta. Do not group markets just to make campaign setup easier.
4. ProofMatch the licence holder, company, domain, game types and territory. Keep a current copy and any translation the platform process requires.
5. SiteAdd operator and licence details, terms, privacy information, warnings, age restrictions and help resources. Make these pages accessible without logging in.
6. FormObtain Google certification and Meta permission through their own processes. Request only the countries and categories supported by your documents.
7. AdsCompare the ad, image, video, copy, call to action and destination. Remove guaranteed-win claims and creative aimed at minors.

An application should explain the path from the advertiser to the licensed service. If one company owns the brand, another holds the licence and a third buys the media, prepare the agreements and authorisations in advance. The reviewer should not have to infer the chain from scattered files.

Check every entry point on the website, not just the homepage. An ad may lead to a promotion page, app, bonus offer or affiliate article. Each page should fit the same classification and must not promise terms that differ from the product rules.

Rejections and account restrictions

A rejection can relate to the service itself, the ad account, the destination or the selected geography. Often the issue is not one phrase in the creative. The reviewer may be unable to confirm the advertiser’s right to promote the product. For example, the domain names one company, the licence belongs to another and the game terms identify a third operator.

Another common problem is applying before the site and documents are ready. An incomplete product description, an expired licence, missing company details, inaccessible terms or different age statements across the ad and destination can lead to rejection. For Google, the target location and product must also fit an eligible category. For Meta, the relevant business account must have advance permission.

Do not try to bypass review by cloaking a page, switching domains, redirecting users after review or hiding bonus terms. Such conduct can lead to advertising restrictions and make a later review harder. If a decision appears mistaken, read the reason, fix the specific mismatch and appeal through the platform’s available process.

A launch plan for operators

Repeat the review after a material change. A new country, partner, app, bonus, payment method or game can change the classification or requirements. Changes to ad copy matter too if they imply that the product is available in more places or promises an income or guaranteed outcome.

Allow time for permissions and campaign review. Do not make the launch date depend on an assumption that approval will be automatic. Keep campaigns off until they are approved, and do not buy traffic for markets that have not been confirmed.

The sensible order is to classify the product, check markets, verify legality and licences, prepare the site, obtain platform approvals, submit the creative and then turn on delivery in a controlled way. Every campaign should have an owner and a clear way to stop it quickly.

Frequently asked questions