Google Tightens Reins on Gambling Ads: Stricter Rules Take Effect In April

Starting in April, Google will implement stricter rules affecting thousands of gambling advertisers.

These new guidelines cover online gambling, offline gambling and online gambling-promoting content. It will instruct gambling operators on how to promote games and collect data on Google platforms.

Google emphasized its support for responsible gambling advertising and requires advertisers to follow local gambling laws and industry standards.

The new requirements will alter how millions of users see and engage with online gambling ads. They’ll take effect on April 14.

What Does Google’s New Gambling Advertising Policy Change?

The new policy will specify which countries can show gambling-related ads and require advertisers to have a landing page with responsible gambling information.

It will still allow aggregators and affiliates to promote legal online gambling sites as long as they offer information or comparisons of gambling services.

These advertisers must continue to register with Google for certification as gambling advertisers. Affiliates who go beyond providing information or comparisons might face restrictions.

What Is an Aggregator?

An aggregator is an entity or platform that collects and organizes content, information or services from multiple sources to present them in a consolidated manner. Aggregators can serve various functions across different industries. For example:

1. News Aggregators: Websites or apps that compile news articles from various sources to provide users with a wide range of news content in one place.
2. Data Aggregators: Platforms that gather data from various databases or sources to provide a comprehensive view or analysis, often used in business intelligence or market research.
3. Service Aggregators: Platforms that bring together different service offerings, such as travel booking sites offering flights, hotels and rental cars from various providers.
4. Content Aggregators: Websites or tools that compile and organize content like videos, music or blog posts from various creators to make it easily accessible for users.

Aggregators simplify the process of accessing diverse information by presenting it in a convenient, centralized format.

New Google Policy Drills Down on Social Casinos

For a long time, Google banned targeted ads for online casinos, such as real-money, sweepstakes or social casinos. However, in November, Google changed its policy and started allowing targeted ads for social casinos.

But Google’s new gambling advertising policy (the one taking effect in April) is adding some very specific requirements for  social casino games that want to advertise in their space, including:

• Games must have a disclaimer saying they are only for users who are over the legal gambling age and must not target minors.
• If applicable, the advertiser must have a valid local license to distribute their games in the targeted country.
• Games must clearly state they do not offer or promote real money gambling and do not provide prizes of real-world value.