Google expands offline gambling ad restrictions across 35 countries

Google updated its Gambling and Games policy on November 19, 2025, expanding restrictions on offline gambling advertisements to 35 countries where such promotions violate local laws. The policy revision clarified permitted advertising activities and substantially increased the list of jurisdictions where brick-and-mortar casino and gaming establishment advertisements cannot run on Google's platforms.

According to the policy documentation, offline gambling now encompasses "legal physical, real-world gambling activity or establishments" including brick-and-mortar casinos, gaming parlors such as pachinko parlors, and streaming of offline poker tournaments. This clarification distinguishes offline gambling from online gambling operations and social casino games, which operate under separate certification requirements within Google's advertising framework.

The update expanded the prohibited countries list from 12 to 35 territories. Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Djibouti, Egypt, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Korea, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, the Maldives, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Sudan, Syria, Taiwan, Thailand, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Vietnam, and Yemen now explicitly appear in the policy documentation as locations where offline gambling advertising is prohibited. The revision added Bulgaria, Estonia, Italy, Lithuania, Northern Ireland, Philippines, Turkey, and Ukraine to the restricted territories.

This policy modification took effect immediately upon announcement on November 19, 2025, according to the documentation. The simultaneous announcement and implementation timeline differs from Google's typical approach of providing transition periods between policy announcements and enforcement dates, as seen in previous gambling policy adjustments where the company provided two-month windows for advertiser compliance.

The technical structure of Google's gambling advertising framework separates online gambling, offline gambling, and social casino games into distinct categories with independent certification processes. Online gambling requires country-specific licensing and Google certification, with permitted activities varying substantially by jurisdiction. Social casino games—online simulated gambling-style games where no real-world value can be won—operate under separate certification requirements and country eligibility lists totaling 41 territories.

Offline gambling advertising faces less complex certification requirements compared to online gambling operations. According to the policy documentation, advertisers promoting physical gambling establishments need not obtain Google certification provided they target countries where such advertising remains legal. This creates a two-tier system where geographic targeting determines advertising eligibility rather than application-based certification processes.

The policy framework defines gambling as "staking something of value on the outcome of events or processes determined by an element of chance with the opportunity to win something of value." This definition applies across all gambling categories within Google's advertising policies, creating consistent interpretation standards for online, offline, and social casino game classifications.

Google's enforcement approach for gambling policy violations remains severe. The company considers gambling advertising infractions "egregious" violations subject to immediate account suspension upon detection without prior warning. For social casino games specifically, policy violations result in permanent advertising bans with prohibited advertisers unable to access Google Ads again, according to the documentation.

The offline gambling restriction expansion aligns with Google's broader pattern of tightening gambling advertising controls throughout 2024 and 2025. The company temporarily paused gambling certification applications for Australia in August 2025, implemented stricter requirements in Germany limiting certification to operators licensed by the Gemeinsame Glücksspielbehörde der Länder, and aligned Brazilian gambling advertising with Ministry of Finance authorization requirements.

The geographic expansion of offline gambling restrictions particularly impacts markets with significant physical gambling industries. Macau and Singapore, both major casino destinations, now appear explicitly in the prohibited territories list alongside jurisdictions where gambling faces complete legal prohibitions. The inclusion suggests Google's policy addresses both complete gambling bans and markets where advertising restrictions exist independent of operational legality.

Northern Ireland's addition to the restricted list creates distinct treatment within the United Kingdom, where sports betting advertisements face different regulations. Google's policies now explicitly differentiate between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK for gambling advertising purposes, reflecting the region's separate regulatory framework.

The policy documentation notes that prize promotions run by retailers and service providers to promote goods and services fall outside the gambling policy scope, with the exception of social casino game advertisers. This carve-out preserves legitimate marketing activities involving chance-based promotions while maintaining restrictions on gambling-specific content.

Ad format restrictions continue to apply uniformly across gambling categories. Gmail ads, Shopping ads, Reservation display ads, and Google TV masthead ads outside the United States, Brazil, and United Kingdom cannot promote gambling content according to the policy documentation. However, Google expanded Google TV Masthead availabilityfor sports betting advertisements in the United States on April 30, 2025, and subsequently extended this to the UK and Brazil on November 13, 2025.

Responsible gambling requirements mandate that all gambling advertisements display information about responsible gambling and never target minors. Landing pages must contain responsible gambling resources regardless of whether advertisers promote online gambling, offline gambling, or social casino games. These consumer protection standards apply universally across Google's gambling advertising framework.

The immediate implementation timeline creates potential compliance challenges for advertisers currently running campaigns targeting newly restricted territories. Unlike previous policy updates where Google provided advance notice allowing campaign adjustments, the November 19 effective date means advertisers may have discovered restrictions only through campaign disapprovals or performance monitoring.

Google maintains separate certification tracks for online gambling and social casino games, requiring distinct accounts for advertisers seeking to promote both content types. Advertisers certified for online gambling cannot use the same account for social casino game advertising, and vice versa, according to the policy documentation. This separation prevents advertisers from leveraging certifications across different gambling categories and maintains strict boundaries between content types.

The policy language emphasizes that English versions of Google's Advertising Policies Help Center represent the official enforcement language, though the company provides translated versions. This specification proves particularly relevant for international advertisers operating across multiple markets where policy interpretations might vary in translation.

Material changes to gambling operations require recertification under Google's Circumventing Systems policy, with modifications to licensure or compliance factors triggering recertification obligations. Advertisers must notify Google immediately if licenses expire, face suspension, or undergo termination. Failure to recertify following material changes constitutes policy circumvention subject to immediate account suspension.

The offline gambling restriction expansion suggests Google's approach prioritizes alignment with local advertising regulations rather than operational legality alone. Several jurisdictions on the restricted list permit licensed gambling operations while prohibiting or limiting advertising for such activities, indicating Google's policy responds to advertising-specific regulations rather than blanket gambling prohibitions.

For advertisers promoting physical gambling establishments, the policy update necessitates immediate review of geographic targeting parameters. Campaigns targeting multiple countries must exclude newly restricted territories to maintain compliance and avoid account-level enforcement actions. The comprehensive nature of Google's gambling policy violations—which the company classifies as egregious—means advertisers face severe consequences for non-compliance including permanent platform bans.

The policy framework's complexity reflects gambling's heavily regulated status across jurisdictions. Online gambling certification requirements vary substantially by country, with some territories permitting only sports betting while others allow full casino operations. Social casino games face independent eligibility standards across 41 countries, and offline gambling now operates under explicit geographic restrictions spanning 35 prohibited territories.

Timeline

• September 2024: Google tightened policy for gambling advertisers, requiring recertification for material changes with enforcement beginning November 2024
• September 2024: Google updated German gambling policy, restricting certification to GGL-licensed operators effective September 25, 2024
• September 2024: Google aligned Brazilian gambling advertising with Ministry of Finance authorization requirements effective September 30, 2024
• April 2025: Google TV Masthead began accepting sports betting ads in United States effective April 30, 2025
• August 2025: Google accepted sports betting ads in Missouri from state-licensed entities effective August 15, 2025
• August 2025: Google temporarily paused gambling certification applications for Australia, affecting new market entrants
• November 2025: Google expanded sports betting ads to UK and Brazil on TV Masthead effective November 13, 2025
• November 19, 2025: Google updated offline gambling policy, expanding prohibited territories to 35 countries effective immediately

Summary

Who: Google updated its Gambling and Games policy affecting advertisers promoting physical gambling establishments, brick-and-mortar casinos, gaming parlors, and offline poker tournament streaming.

What: The policy revision expanded the list of countries where offline gambling advertising is prohibited from 12 to 35 territories, adding Bulgaria, Estonia, Italy, Lithuania, Northern Ireland, Philippines, Turkey, and Ukraine to existing restrictions. The update clarified that offline gambling encompasses legal physical, real-world gambling activity and establishments.

When: Google announced and implemented the policy changes on November 19, 2025, with immediate effect rather than providing a transition period for advertiser compliance.

Where: The policy applies to Google Ads campaigns targeting 35 countries where offline gambling advertising violates local laws: Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Bulgaria, China, Djibouti, Egypt, Estonia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Italy, Jordan, Korea, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Lithuania, Malaysia, the Maldives, Morocco, Northern Ireland, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Philippines, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Sudan, Syria, Taiwan, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, Vietnam, and Yemen.

Why: The policy expansion aligns Google's advertising restrictions with local laws prohibiting offline gambling advertisements across multiple jurisdictions. The update reflects Google's ongoing effort to maintain compliance with diverse regulatory environments while enforcing responsible gambling advertising standards. Violations receive classification as egregious infractions subject to immediate account suspension, demonstrating the company's strict enforcement approach for gambling-related policy breaches.