Google is updating the Google Ads certification applications and standards for gambling, including gambling jurisdictions, online non-casino games and social casino games on August 26, 2026. All new applicants must use the revised forms when obtaining certification with Google.
Google wrote, “The new application forms will go live on August 26, 2026.”
Google also gave us a preview of the description of the approval process and updated requirements, here it is:
Advertisers need to apply for certification from Google in order to run gambling and gambling-promoting content. To prevent application delays, all gambling entities must ensure their licensing credentials and operational details are fully up to date with the appropriate regulators.
Before applying, please refer to the policy and country-specific requirements within this article and confirm that your business meets all criteria. In addition, to qualify and maintain an active certification, advertisers must meet the following requirements.
Prerequisites and eligibility
You must hold a valid local license for every region you intend to target and provide evidence of that licence. If the relationship of an advertiser to a licensee is unclear, advertisers must submit documentation which clearly describes the relationship between the advertising entity, the gambling entity, and the associated domain.Destination site and app compliance
- Destination sites must prominently display an age warning, addiction resources, terms and conditions and a footer containing the licensee name, license number and a privacy policy identifying the data controller.
- Licensing details must be clearly displayed. The details relevant based on your business mode are:
- Operators: Must explicitly state their own license details, including the registered business name and license number.
- Gambling-promoting content (Affiliates/Aggregators): If you are not required to hold a license yourself, you must link exclusively to fully licensed and authorized gambling entities in the targeted geographic region on the advertised domain. The site footer must feature a prominent statement confirming that all outbound links are exclusively to gambling entities licensed and authorized in the relevant geographic location.
- Online gambling and online non-casino game operators who wish to promote a mobile application must
- Include a prominent, working link to the application’s official App Store or Google Play Store listing on the licensed domain.
- include a direct link back to the registered domain on the app’s store landing page.
How to apply
Once you have verified that you meet all the criteria above, submit your application using the appropriate track below. To help prevent unnecessary delays, be sure to provide all requested information.
- Online gambling, Online gambling-promoting content, and Non-casino games requiring certification: If you are an operator or offering online gambling-promoting content in one of the countries where we permit online gambling content, fill out the online gambling application form in the Google Ads Help Center to submit your website URL or app ID for certification.
- Social casino games: If you are a Social Casino Game operator in one of the countries where we permit social casino gaming content, fill out the Social casino games application to submit your website URL or app ID for certification.
- Multi-country and multi-category targeting restrictions: If you want to target more than one country, you must submit a separate application form for each individual country. Additionally, please note the following structural limitations for Google Ads accounts:
- No mixed certification types: A single Google Ads account cannot hold both an online gambling certification and a social casino game certification simultaneously. You must use separate accounts for these distinct categories.
- No mixed social casino groups: A single account cannot hold certifications for two different social casino game targeting groups. If you plan to target multiple distinct user groups or regions with different social casino certification requirements, separate accounts must be utilized.
Important maintenance rule: You must recertify in the event of any material change to the information you provided in your application. Failure to do so could result in your account being suspended.
Finally, Google added, “advertisers must comply with local gambling regulations, industry standards, and Google’s Gambling and Games policy to secure and maintain certification.”
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