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From March 23,206, Google will apply tougher standards to gambling advertisers across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.
The company’s Dublin‑based Ads division confirmed that new eligibility checks will be introduced, requiring applicants to show they follow what Google calls “good health policy” before they can obtain certification.
The updated framework places greater weight on an advertiser’s track record. Past compliance, current behavior, and stated future intentions will all be considered more closely than before. Those with repeated violations or past revocations risk losing their certification or having new applications denied.
Hosting and structural policies also tightened
Google is not only focusing on advertiser compliance but also reshaping the way gambling operators present and host their sites. Free hosting services are no longer permitted, and platforms cannot run as subdomains under third‑party providers.
To qualify, sites must show a clear link to the licensed gambling industry, while ownership of second-level domains is now off limits.
The company has not explained why these changes are being introduced, but they arrive at a time when gambling advertising faces growing scrutiny across Europe. Rules are different among EU member states, and non-EU countries such as the UK, Switzerland, and Norway make everything even more complex.
These differences have occasionally placed Google in difficult positions. For example, in Italy, gambling advertising has been banned since 2018, and Google has faced regulatory pressure for breaching that rule.
Illegal gambling advertising continue to worry regulators
Elsewhere, concerns about illegal operators and their ads have been rising, with the UK Gambling Commission recently warning about the promotion of “non‑Gamstop casinos.” Speaking at the ICE trade show in Barcelona this week, the UKGC called on Meta to address these practices. Tim Miller, the commission’s executive director, put it simply: the commission shouldn’t have to do Meta’s job for it.
By tightening hosting and structural requirements, Google is aiming to shut out non-compliant operators and reduce the risk of fines, enforcement actions, and reputational damage across European markets.
Source: SBCNews
