Google expanded its gambling advertising certification rules on September 14, 2026, requiring advertisers in all covered gambling and games categories to demonstrate good policy health before gaining or keeping certification. The change increases compliance pressure on online casinos, affiliates and comparison services targeting Great Britain.

Google announced the update on July 13, 2026. The policy extends a requirement introduced in March and applies it across all covered categories.

What changes for UK advertisers

Google permits advertising for online casinos, bingo, sports betting and other gambling products in the United Kingdom, except Northern Ireland, subject to its certification conditions.

In Great Britain, online gambling operators must also hold a valid operating licence from the Gambling Commission. Great Britain covers England, Scotland and Wales.

Google’s rules also cover gambling-promoting content, including affiliate and comparison websites. Those sites may advertise only when the gambling services they promote meet the relevant local authorisation requirements.

  • Advertisers must demonstrate good policy health.
  • Businesses must directly own and control the domain submitted for certification.
  • Free subdomains and unrelated standalone domains are not eligible.
  • Landing pages must display licensing, responsible gambling, age and privacy information where required.

Manager accounts face wider exposure

Google said manager accounts, which agencies and marketing groups use to control multiple advertising accounts, can lose eligibility after repeated online gambling certificate revocations.

Accounts operating under a manager account may also put existing certifications at risk if they repeatedly breach gambling policies. An agency’s compliance record can therefore affect several clients.

Repeated certificate revocations or gambling policy violations can prevent a manager account from applying for new online gambling certificates.

Google checks do not replace UK licensing

Google certification does not replace UK gambling regulation. The Gambling Commission requires businesses advertising gambling into Great Britain to hold the relevant licence. Operators also remain responsible for marketing carried out by affiliates and other third parties.

The Commission’s advertising requirements form part of the Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice. Breaches can lead to a licence review, financial penalty, suspension or revocation.

A comparison site may not need a Gambling Commission operating licence in every case. The operator connected to its marketing must still manage the risks created by that relationship. Google separately requires affiliate destinations to link only to fully licensed and authorised gambling entities in the targeted market.

Why the Great Britain distinction matters

Google identifies the eligible market as the United Kingdom except Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland operates under a separate gambling framework and is not covered by the Gambling Commission’s Great Britain licensing regime.

For UK-facing advertisers, the compliance review now extends beyond checking an operator’s licence. Agencies and affiliates must also examine:

  • Domain ownership and control.
  • Licensing information on landing pages.
  • Linked brands and promoted operators.
  • Previous account and certification breaches.
  • The compliance record of the manager account controlling the campaign.

What happens next

The policy is already effective. It does not create a new UK gambling licence, but it gives Google a stronger basis to refuse or withdraw advertising certification.

For licensed operators, the commercial risk is losing access to a major advertising channel. For affiliates, the immediate pressure is on licensing claims, promoted websites and controls designed to prevent repeated policy breaches.