Google will remove the requirement for programmatic buyers to individually certify gambling advertisers in 37 markets from August 10, with South Africa the only African country included in the policy change.
South Africa has been included in Google’s expanded list of markets eligible for programmatic gambling advertising, making it the only African country covered by the policy update, which takes effect on August 10.
The update applies to Google’s Authorized Buyers platform, allowing approved demand-side platforms and ad networks to serve online gambling and social casino advertisements across Google’s programmatic advertising ecosystem, including AdSense, Ad Manager and AdMob.
South Africa is among 37 jurisdictions included in the expansion, alongside markets such as the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Germany, Japan and Brazil. Under the revised policy, authorised buyers will no longer need separate Google certification for each end advertiser before serving eligible gambling campaigns through the programmatic marketplace.
The change covers online casinos, sportsbooks, bingo and slot sites, online lotteries and scratch cards, as well as games involving virtual currencies with real-world value. Google said all advertisements must continue to comply with local laws, licensing requirements and its existing gambling advertising policies.
The company added that publishers in eligible markets, including South Africa, could see an increase in gambling-related advertising as more authorised buyers gain access to the programmatic marketplace. However, publishers will retain control to block gambling categories, individual advertisers or specific authorised buyers if they choose.
The policy update applies only to programmatic advertising through Authorized Buyers. Gambling operators and affiliates advertising directly through Google Ads will continue to follow the existing certification process. Google is separately tightening certification requirements for direct Google Ads gambling advertisers from September 14, requiring all advertisers to maintain a clean compliance record to retain their approval.
