Google has imposed unconditional requisites on certification that must be ensured by advertisers of gambling and games categories.
Upcoming changes were alerted in June to advertisers that Google would enhance its Gambling and Games Policy across all markets, effective as of 14 September 2026.
The policy update builds on measures introduced in March 2026. Google began requiring advertisers in selected gambling markets to demonstrate a “strong record of compliance before becoming eligible for certification”.
This requirement has now been extended to every category covered by the Gambling and Games Policy, which states: “Starting September 14, 2026, all gambling and games advertisers must demonstrate good policy health.”
Certification requirements are expanding to all categories, requiring businesses to own their domains and avoid using free subdomains to maintain eligibility.
Google has set unconditional terms to deepen oversight of Manager Accounts, commonly known as ‘MCCs’.
The term refers to agencies or third-party businesses who manage multiple accounts for advertisers promoting gambling activities/services.
Gambling advertisers & manager accounts….
Manager Accounts that have repeatedly had online gambling certificates revoked will no longer be eligible to apply for new certifications.
“Manager Accounts (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 has warned that breaches may also lead to the revocation of existing certifications held by accounts connected to the offending MCC.
Further requirements concern the ownership and control of websites used in gambling advertising. Applicants must directly own and control the domain submitted for certification, while websites hosted on free subdomains will be deemed ineligible.
Google will also reject applications involving standalone domains unrelated to gambling, preventing businesses from using generic or disconnected websites to secure certification for gambling campaigns.
The changes place greater responsibility on gambling businesses and marketing agencies to monitor the compliance record of every account operating within their advertising solutions.
Gambling advertisers are reminded that “the English-language version of the policy remains the official text” used by Google to assess compliance and enforce sanctions.
Google remains in the spotlight
Google’s updated Gambling and Games Policy seeks to address mounting concerns over the accountability of its advertising platform and its ability to prevent illegal/ unlicensed gambling promotions.
The changes follow a significant legal setback for Google in July, when the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) ruled that the company could not automatically rely on intermediary liability protections for gambling content uploaded to YouTube by commercial partners.
The case concerned a €750,000 fine imposed by Italy’s AGCOM, over videos promoting online gambling in breach of the country’s Dignity Decree – the federal legislation introduced in 2019 to prohibit gambling advertising and sponsorship across Italian media.
Further fallouts and discipline concerns have seen Google warned of advertising liabilities by authorities in Spain, Belgium, France and the Netherlands
The Silicon Valley giant remains under scrutiny as EU authorities assess the responsibilities and liabilities of digital ad services and engagement with mass market audiences.
As such, the European Council has pledged to review Google advertising to probe its duties to embed safety into platform design and prevent audiences from being exposed to illegal advertising, scams and other harmful content.
The EC views the Safety by Design review as a critical examination to help establish a new compliance regime for online platforms safeguarding European audiences.
Google maintains that it has strengthened safeguards and points to the scale of its enforcement. Its 2025 Ads Safety Report showed that approximately 270.7 million gambling and gaming advertisements were blocked or removed, while a further 123.9 million were restricted.
