Google is updating its gambling advertising certification process, introducing new requirements for advertisers operating across regulated gambling markets. The changes were announced on September 14, 2026, as part of an update to Google’s Gambling and Games policy and are scheduled to take effect in October.
Under the revised framework, advertisers will need to maintain what Google describes as “good policy health” to remain eligible for gambling advertising certification. Repeated policy violations or certificate revocations could also affect Manager Accounts overseeing multiple advertisers.
Google’s gambling advertising requirements vary by market, with different jurisdictions subject to specific conditions on the types of gambling products that can be promoted. Under the updated rules, advertisers must hold a valid local license for each market they target and provide evidence of that license during the certification process. Separate applications will also be required for different countries.
The changes are particularly relevant to operators and affiliates running campaigns across multiple Asian markets, where gambling products permitted in one jurisdiction may not be eligible for advertising in another. Google’s existing policy prohibits the promotion of offline gambling in several Asian markets, including India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and the United Arab Emirates.
Other markets allow more limited categories of gambling advertising. Thailand, for example, has provisions covering state-run lotteries and horse racing, while Vietnam’s framework includes online lottery products operated through authorized Vietlott agents. The updated certification framework also introduces specific requirements for affiliates and aggregators.
Affiliate websites promoting gambling must link only to gambling entities that are fully licensed and authorized in the relevant market. Affiliates must also clearly indicate that outbound links direct users to properly licensed gambling businesses. Destination websites used in gambling advertising campaigns will also be required to meet relevant standards, including providing licensing information, age restrictions, responsible gambling resources and terms and conditions.
One of the more significant changes concerns agencies and affiliate networks managing multiple gambling advertisers through Google Ads Manager Accounts. Google states that a Manager Account may lose eligibility to apply for new gambling advertising certificates if the accounts it manages repeatedly violate gambling policies or accumulate a significant number of certificate revocations.
This could have wider implications for agencies overseeing campaigns for multiple operators from a single management structure. Repeated compliance issues across managed accounts could therefore affect the Manager Account’s ability to obtain new gambling certifications. Google will continue to treat social casino advertising separately from online gambling.
Its social casino framework covers markets including India, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Taiwan and South Korea. Social casino games simulate gambling but do not offer players anything of value and require separate certification from online gambling campaigns.
For operators, affiliates and agencies targeting Asian markets, the October changes are expected to introduce additional compliance checks before gambling advertising campaigns can be approved. The broader impact will depend on how Google implements the updated requirements once they take effect, particularly for advertisers operating across multiple jurisdictions with different gambling laws and licensing frameworks.
Source: sigma.world
