Google Expands Programmatic Gambling Advertising to 37 Markets While Tightening Google Ads Certification Rules

Google is set to broaden the availability of programmatic gambling advertising across its advertising ecosystem while simultaneously introducing stricter compliance standards for gambling advertisers using Google Ads.

Beginning August 10, authorized buyers will be allowed to serve online gambling and social casino advertising across an expanded list of 37 markets through Google's programmatic advertising network. Separately, from September 14, gambling advertisers using Google Ads will be required to satisfy more rigorous certification requirements in order to maintain or obtain approval.

Google informed AdSense publishers of the upcoming Authorized Buyers policy update through a mandatory service email distributed on July 20. According to the notification, the revised policy will allow authorized buyers to deliver online gambling and social casino gaming advertisements in a significantly larger number of jurisdictions. As part of the update, Google will also eliminate the certification requirement that currently applies to end advertisers participating in the programmatic channel within those newly supported markets.

The expanded policy will apply to the following 37 territories: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Czechia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Japan, South Korea, Latvia, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, the Philippines, Portugal, Romania, the Russian Federation, Serbia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey and the United Kingdom.

Google stated that all advertising served under the revised framework must comply with the applicable local laws, regulations and industry standards governing each jurisdiction. The policy encompasses a broad range of gambling-related products and services, including online casinos, sportsbooks, bingo and slot websites and applications, online lottery offerings, sports betting platforms, and games involving virtual currencies or in-game items that possess real-world value.

Under Google's current Authorized Buyers gambling policy, gambling creatives are governed by a country-specific eligibility table that determines where advertisements may be served across various auction types. Creatives targeting countries not included within that table are currently disapproved, except in cases where advertisements are delivered through preferred deals or programmatic guaranteed arrangements that have publisher block overrides enabled.

Google confirmed that the complete revised Authorized Buyers gambling policy will be published on the Authorized Buyers policy page on August 10, the same day the updated rules become effective.

The company emphasized that the changes are limited to the Authorized Buyers policy and do not affect other advertising frameworks, including the Google Ads Gambling and Games policy. As a consequence of the expanded eligibility, publishers operating within the newly added markets could experience an increase in gambling-related display advertising.

However, publishers will continue to retain control over the ads appearing on their properties through existing tools, including the ability to block individual advertisers, restrict specific authorized buyers, and block sensitive or general advertising categories using the Ad Review Center.

In addition to the programmatic advertising changes, Google will implement a separate update to its Google Ads Gambling and Games policy on September 14. Unlike the Authorized Buyers expansion, these changes focus on determining which advertisers are eligible to advertise through Google Ads rather than identifying the jurisdictions where gambling advertisements may be displayed.

Under the revised certification framework, gambling advertisers will be required to satisfy expanded certification standards while maintaining what Google describes as "good policy health" in order to receive or retain approval. The company indicated that certification decisions will take into account both an advertiser's licensing status and its overall record of compliance with Google's advertising policies.

Google also warned that operators with repeated policy violations or poor compliance histories could be refused certification or lose approvals that have already been granted.

Marketing agencies responsible for managing multiple advertising accounts will face additional oversight as well, with repeated policy breaches across manager accounts potentially affecting their eligibility for certification.

Taken together, Google's two policy updates represent a dual approach to gambling advertising. The company is expanding access to its publisher network by allowing authorized buyers to serve gambling-related advertising across 37 additional markets through its programmatic ecosystem, while simultaneously raising the compliance and certification standards for advertisers seeking to promote gambling products directly through Google Ads.

By fLEXI tEAM