Google Extends Gambling Ad Certification Requirements Across All Markets
Google extended its gambling ad certification rules globally on September 14, applying March 2026 pilots to all categories. Changes add MCC oversight, domain ownership mandates, and tie to EU liability rulings plus a €750k AGCOM fine. The 2025 report notes 270.7m ads blocked.
SCCG Take — Advertisers face elevated compliance costs and account risks on major platforms. Regulators are indirectly compelling tighter self-policing by tech intermediaries.
Google has begun enforcing expanded certification requirements for all gambling and games advertisers on its platforms. The update effective September 14 applies the “good policy health” checks that were first applied in selected gambling markets in March to every category under the company’s Gambling and Games Policy.
Advertisers must secure and keep current certification to run gambling ads. Failure can result in blocked accounts or withdrawn certifications. The changes also reinforce domain rules: free subdomains are ineligible, the submitted domain must be directly owned and controlled by the business, and standalone domains unrelated to gambling cannot qualify.
Manager Account Oversight and Policy Details
Oversight of Manager Accounts (MCCs) has tightened. MCCs with repeated online gambling certificate revocations, or accounts under MCC management that are repeatedly flagged for gambling violations while using a certificate, will forfeit eligibility to apply for any new online gambling certificates and may have existing certifications revoked, Google said. The English-language version of the policy is the sole official text for assessing compliance and applying sanctions.
The expansion follows regulatory pressure on gambling advertising in Europe. In July, the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled that Google could not automatically rely on intermediary liability protections for gambling content uploaded to YouTube by commercial partners. That matter involved a €750,000 (US$866,000) fine imposed by Italy’s communications regulator AGCOM over videos promoting online gambling in breach of Italy’s Dignity Decree. Google‘s 2025 Ads Safety Report said the company blocked or removed about 270.7m gambling and gaming advertisements and restricted a further 123.9m, according to reporting by Focus Gaming News.
Platform Accountability Under Heightened Scrutiny
These requirements place direct compliance responsibility on advertisers and agencies while signaling platforms’ response to liability rulings. Operators must treat certification maintenance as an ongoing operational necessity rather than a one-time filing. Future enforcement patterns will show how strictly the expanded rules are applied outside the initial pilot markets.
Reporting: Focus Gaming News
Generated by SCCG’s automated editorial system from published source reporting. SCCG Management holds editorial responsibility.
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