Google announced on January 22, 2026, that it will introduce stricter certification requirements for gambling and games advertisers, marking a shift toward accountability-based enforcement that targets both individual accounts and the Manager Accounts overseeing them.

The policy update, effective March 23, 2026, mandates that all accounts seeking to advertise in any gambling and games category must demonstrate good policy health. The new framework extends enforcement beyond individual advertisers to include Manager Accounts - also known as MCCs or My Client Centers - that oversee multiple gambling-certified accounts.

According to the policy documentation, Manager Accounts which have significant volume of gambling certificates revoked from accounts under their management will lose the ability to apply for any new online gambling certificates. The platform will also revoke existing certifications from these Manager Accounts.

The enforcement mechanism creates a cascading effect where agencies and account managers bear direct consequences for patterns of violations across their client portfolios. Manager Accounts that demonstrate significant volumes of accounts violating gambling policy while relying on a gambling certificate face the same restrictions, regardless of whether those violations led to certificate revocations.

The domain requirements represent another tightening of eligibility standards. Google reiterated that certification is not available for sites hosted on free platforms, those using a sub-domain whose root domain is a third-party platform host, those with no association with gambling, or those with a second-level domain not owned and operated by the advertiser.

These domain restrictions existed previously on certification applications but receive explicit emphasis in the January 22 announcement. The clarification suggests Google has encountered advertisers attempting to obtain certification for domains that fail to meet ownership and operational control standards.

The policy framework targets a specific pattern of abuse within gambling advertising. Gambling operators sometimes attempt to circumvent licensing requirements or expand into unauthorized jurisdictions by using domain structures that obscure true ownership and control. Free hosting platforms and third-party subdomains present particular enforcement challenges because they enable rapid account creation without demonstrating the business legitimacy that licensed gambling operators typically possess.

Google's gambling advertising enforcement has evolved substantially over the past two years. The platform implemented recertification requirements in September 2024, requiring certified advertisers to recertify if any material changes occurred since their initial certification application. That update established that failure to recertify would be considered a violation of the Circumventing Systems policy, with immediate account suspension upon detection.

The good policy health requirement introduces subjective evaluation into what was previously a binary certification system. Google does not define the specific metrics or thresholds that constitute good policy health in the policy documentation. This ambiguity grants the platform discretion in determining which accounts meet eligibility standards while creating uncertainty for advertisers about compliance requirements.

The Manager Account enforcement provision represents a significant expansion of accountability within Google's advertising ecosystem. Manager Accounts enable advertisers to have multiple accounts under a single login, primarily used by agencies managing client portfolios. The structure facilitates centralized billing, cross-account reporting, and streamlined campaign management across multiple advertisers.

Google's decision to target Manager Accounts with enforcement actions acknowledges the role these entities play in enabling or preventing policy violations. Agencies that maintain lax compliance standards across their client base now face direct consequences that extend beyond individual account suspensions.

The effective date of March 23, 2026, provides approximately two months between announcement and implementation. This timeline aligns with Google's typical policy deployment schedule, which generally ranges from 30 to 90 days to allow affected businesses time to prepare documentation and adjust operations.

The gambling advertising policy framework operates across multiple dimensions of eligibility. Geographic restrictionsvary substantially by country and gambling category. Sports betting advertising requires state-specific licensing in the United States, while online casino advertising faces more limited geographic availability.

Gambling advertisements must comply with responsible gambling standards regardless of specific category. All gambling-related ads must display information about responsible gambling and never target minors, according to policy documentation that applies across the entire gambling and games category.

The certification process requires advertisers to demonstrate compliance with local gambling laws and industry standards before gaining access to advertising channels. Google maintains that it supports responsible gambling advertising and requires that advertisers abide by local gambling laws and industry standards.

Material changes to an advertiser's operations, licensing status, or business structure necessitate recertification. Modifications to the advertiser's licensure or other factors that affect compliance with Google's gambling and games certification requirements trigger recertification obligations.

The platform 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.

Google's enforcement approach for gambling policy violations remains among the most severe in its advertising policy framework. The immediate suspension provision distinguishes gambling violations from most other policy categories, which typically follow a graduated enforcement system with warnings issued at least seven days before account suspension.

The policy expansion reflects broader patterns in Google's gambling advertising approach throughout 2025. The platform expanded gambling advertising permissions across premium placements including Google TV Masthead for sports betting, demonstrating willingness to integrate regulated gambling content into high-visibility inventory while simultaneously tightening certification standards.

Google temporarily paused gambling certification applications for Australia in August 2025, reflecting ongoing adjustments to certification processes in response to regulatory developments. The pause created immediate barriers for new market entrants while existing certified operators continued advertising provided they maintained current certifications and complied with ongoing policy requirements.

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. Each category operates under separate certification requirements and country eligibility lists, creating a complex compliance landscape for advertisers operating across multiple gambling verticals.

The introduction of Manager Account liability creates new risk considerations for agencies managing gambling advertiser portfolios. Agencies must now implement systems to track compliance across all gambling-certified accounts under their management, as patterns of violations among client accounts can result in platform-level restrictions affecting the agency's ability to serve future gambling clients.

For gambling operators, the policy changes demand increased attention to certification maintenance and compliance monitoring. The good policy health requirement suggests Google will evaluate ongoing compliance behavior rather than simply verifying initial certification eligibility.

The domain requirements clarification addresses a specific circumvention pattern that Google apparently encountered in sufficient volume to warrant explicit policy emphasis. The restriction on free hosting platforms and third-party subdomains eliminates pathways that operators might use to obtain certification without demonstrating the business infrastructure that legitimate licensed operators typically maintain.

Advertising agencies specializing in gambling sector clients must now factor Manager Account compliance history into their business risk assessments. An agency with a history of client violations faces potential inability to obtain new gambling certifications, effectively restricting their ability to serve this vertical regardless of individual account compliance.

The policy documentation does not specify whether Google will provide advance notice to Manager Accounts approaching violation thresholds that would trigger certification revocation. The absence of graduated enforcement provisions suggests Manager Accounts may face sudden loss of certification privileges based on cumulative violation patterns across their managed accounts.

Marketing professionals managing gambling advertising campaigns face increased compliance pressures from multiple directions. Individual account holders must maintain their own policy health while also considering the compliance status of any Manager Accounts to which they connect. Google's third-party policy enforcement, strengthened in June 2025, already creates cascading effects where individual accounts face restrictions due to Manager Account violations.

The gambling certification update adds another layer to this accountability framework by specifically targeting patterns of gambling policy violations within Manager Account structures. The combination of individual account suspension risks and Manager Account certification revocations creates a dual-layer enforcement system that holds both advertisers and their management entities accountable for compliance.

Google's certification infrastructure for gambling advertising has evolved substantially since the platform first began accepting gambling advertisements in specific markets. The platform initially implemented basic geographic restrictions and licensing verification. Current requirements now include ongoing recertification for material changes, domain ownership standards, good policy health demonstrations, and Manager Account accountability for portfolio-wide compliance patterns.

The March 23 implementation date provides limited transition time for Manager Accounts to assess their current compliance status and address any patterns that might trigger certification restrictions. Manager Accounts with multiple revoked gambling certificates or significant volumes of gambling policy violations among managed accounts should expect to lose certification eligibility under the new framework.

The policy change arrives during a period of continued expansion in regulated gambling markets globally. Numerous jurisdictions have legalized online gambling and sports betting over the past five years, creating growing advertiser demand for digital advertising channels. Google's approach balances this market opportunity against platform integrity concerns and regulatory compliance obligations.

The emphasis on Manager Account accountability suggests Google has identified agency-level compliance gaps as a significant factor in gambling policy violations. By extending enforcement to the entities managing multiple gambling advertisers, Google attempts to create incentives for better compliance oversight at the portfolio management level.

For gambling operators considering Google Ads as an advertising channel, the updated requirements create higher barriers to entry and ongoing compliance obligations. Operators must not only obtain and maintain their own certifications but also evaluate the compliance track record of any advertising agencies or Manager Accounts they work with.

The certification requirements update represents Google's ongoing effort to refine its gambling advertising framework in response to enforcement challenges and market developments. The platform continues to permit gambling advertising in authorized jurisdictions while implementing increasingly sophisticated compliance mechanisms designed to prevent abuse of the certification system.

Timeline

Summary

Who: Google Ads and gambling advertisers, particularly Manager Accounts (MCCs) that manage multiple gambling-certified accounts, and agencies serving gambling sector clients

What: Google announced stricter certification requirements for gambling and games advertisers, introducing good policy health requirements and extending enforcement to Manager Accounts that demonstrate patterns of violations across managed accounts. The update reiterates domain requirements prohibiting certification for sites hosted on free platforms, third-party subdomains, or domains not owned and operated by the advertiser.

When: Google announced the policy update on January 22, 2026, with enforcement beginning March 23, 2026

Where: The policy applies globally across all Google Ads accounts seeking to advertise in gambling and games categories, with particular impact on Manager Accounts managing multiple gambling-certified advertisers

Why: The policy change addresses patterns of gambling policy violations by extending accountability beyond individual advertisers to the Manager Accounts overseeing them. Google aims to improve compliance by creating consequences for agencies and account managers that enable or fail to prevent repeated violations across their client portfolios. The domain requirement clarifications close loopholes where advertisers attempted to obtain certification without demonstrating proper business ownership and operational control.

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