Google Expands Gambling Ads to 16 New Markets While Tightening Advertiser Certification

Google is expanding where gambling advertisements can run through its Ad Manager platform while simultaneously tightening the certification standards operators must meet to advertise on Google Ads. The two changes arrive on separate timelines this year, giving licensed operators more reach in new markets even as compliance requirements grow stricter.

Starting August 10, Google will widen the jurisdictions covered by its Google Ad Manager Authorized Buyers policy, opening the door for online gambling and social casino advertising in the Philippines, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

Advertiser Certification Gets Stricter in September

Roughly a month after that expansion takes effect, Google will roll out revised Gambling and Games policy rules on September 14 that raise the bar for which advertisers can use Google Ads in the first place. Rather than changing where gambling ads can appear, the September update focuses on who is allowed to buy them.

Under the new standard, advertisers must satisfy expanded certification requirements and maintain what Google calls “good policy health” to keep their approval active. That evaluation will weigh both an operator’s licensing status and its track record of complying with platform rules. Operators with repeated violations or weak compliance histories could be denied certification outright or have existing approvals pulled.

The scrutiny extends beyond individual operators. Marketing agencies that manage multiple advertising accounts on behalf of gambling clients will also face closer review, with repeated policy breaches across manager accounts potentially jeopardizing their eligibility for certification going forward.

What the Expanded Buyer Program Covers

For the August change, eligible buyers serving ads through the Authorized Buyers program will no longer need separate Google certification for end advertisers in the newly added markets. The policy covers a broad swath of the industry, including online casinos, sportsbooks, bingo and slot machine sites or apps, online lottery products, sports betting, and games tied to virtual currencies with real-world value. Any advertising under this umbrella must still comply with applicable local laws, regulations, and industry standards in each market.

Google has been clear that the August update is confined to the Ad Manager Authorized Buyers policy and does not touch the separate Google Ads Gambling and Games policy that governs search and display advertising more broadly. That distinction matters for publishers in the newly listed countries, who may start seeing more gambling-related display inventory come through programmatic channels, though Google Ad Manager’s brand protection tools still let publishers opt out of specific ad categories if they choose.

A Wider Door With More Guardrails

Taken together, the two changes point in a direction the industry has seen before from major ad platforms: more market access paired with tighter compliance enforcement. Licensed operators, affiliates, and the agencies that manage their campaigns will gain new opportunities to reach consumers in 16 additional markets, but staying in Google’s good graces will increasingly hinge on maintaining clean licensing records and a consistent history of following platform rules. For an industry that leans heavily on digital advertising to acquire customers, the September certification changes in particular could reshape which operators are able to compete for visibility on Google’s networks at all.