Google Tightens Gambling Ads Certification Across All Markets

Google has introduced revised certification requirements for gambling ads across all online-gambling jurisdictions, online non-casino games where certification is required, and social casino games. The new application forms took effect on 26 August 2026. The change is not a worldwide ban on gambling advertising: it raises the evidence and destination standards that advertisers must meet in markets where Google permits these ads.

An advertiser must hold a valid local licence for every region it intends to target and provide evidence of that licence. Where the advertising account, gambling operator and licensed entity are not obviously the same organisation, Google requires documents explaining the relationship among the advertiser, the gambling business and the associated domain. A licence from one jurisdiction therefore cannot be treated as automatic authority to advertise in another.

The country-by-country structure also applies to applications. Advertisers seeking more than one country must submit a separate certification application for each country. They must first check that Google permits the relevant product in that market and that the operator satisfies the listed national or provincial requirements. Canada, for example, requires operators to hold the relevant provincial licence and target only that province, while Brazil requires authorisation from the applicable Brazilian gambling authorities.

Destination sites must prominently display an age warning, addiction-support resources, terms and conditions, and a footer naming the licensee and licence number. The privacy policy must identify the data controller. These are practical certification conditions, not optional trust badges, and the details shown to Google must remain consistent with the current operator and regulator records.

Operators must state their own registered business name and licence number. Gambling comparison or aggregator sites that do not require their own licence may link only to operators licensed and authorised in the geographic market being targeted. Google also requires a prominent footer statement confirming that outbound gambling links lead exclusively to entities authorised in that location.

Mobile-app promotion has an additional two-way linking test. An operator must provide a working link from the licensed domain to the official Apple App Store or Google Play listing, and the store page must link directly back to the registered domain. This makes domain ownership, app identity and licensing easier to compare during certification.

One Google Ads account cannot simultaneously hold online-gambling and social-casino certifications. Separate social-casino targeting groups may also require separate accounts. Businesses operating several products or markets will therefore need account structures that match the certification categories rather than combining every campaign under one approval.

Certification is not permanent when the underlying facts change. Google requires immediate recertification after any material change to the information supplied in an application, with account suspension a possible consequence of failing to update it. A licence expiry, suspended authorisation, new operating entity, changed domain or materially altered advertiser relationship should therefore trigger a review before campaigns continue.

For operators and agencies, the immediate task is to reconcile ad accounts, domains, app listings, licence records, privacy notices and responsible-gambling information market by market. A campaign can satisfy creative rules and still fail if the destination does not identify the correct licensed entity or if the certification covers a different country or product category.

For comparison publishers, the rule reinforces a basic consumer safeguard: promoted operators must be authorised for the reader’s targeted location. For players, seeing a gambling ad on Google is not a substitute for checking the exact operator and domain with the relevant regulator. Certifications, licences and operating status can change, and advertising approval does not remove the risk of loss. Gambling is for adults only and should never be treated as income.

Sources: Google Advertising Policies Help, “Update to Gambling and Games Policy: Global (August 2026)” (posted 23 July 2026; revised forms effective 26 August 2026, official change notice); Google Advertising Policies Help, “Gambling and games” (current official policy and country-specific certification requirements, accessed 29 August 2026); and SiGMA News, “Google to strengthen gambling ads oversight” (15 July 2026, secondary industry context). Advertisers should use Google’s current policy and the relevant regulator’s live register because certification rules and local authorisations can change.