Google has rolled out a significant update to its Gambling and Games advertising policy in the United States, announcing that from 1 December 2025, all online horse racing gambling-promoting content from aggregators and affiliates is now prohibited. The move marks one of Google’s most definitive restrictions on gambling-related advertising in recent years, targeting a sector traditionally treated as a regulatory grey area.
The updated policy, published on Google’s official Advertising Policies Help Centre, states: “All existing certifications for horse racing aggregators will be revoked and applications for certification for online gambling promoting content for horse racing will no longer be accepted.” The decision took effect immediately, forcing comparison sites, tipster platforms, and other gambling-promotion services to pull their campaigns from Google Ads without a transition period.
However, the restriction does not apply to licenced online gambling operators. Companies legally authorised to offer horse race wagering in the US, such as those regulated under state pari-mutuel betting laws, may continue running Google Ads, provided they comply with licensing and responsible gambling disclosure requirements. Google emphasised that its English-language policy remains the official and enforceable version, even though translated help pages are available.
Google’s broader gambling advertising framework
The update comes amid Google’s wider shift toward tightening control over gambling advertising, particularly where third-party or referral-based business models are involved. In February 2025, Google introduced stricter documentation checks for licenced gambling advertisers and enhanced monitoring of affiliate content, following rising concerns globally about misleading promotions and opaque referral schemes.
The company also took action earlier in the year by reclassifying “sweepstakes casinos”, placing them under real-money gambling restrictions due to increased regulatory scrutiny of dual-currency redemption models. The update, quietly published on October 28, 2025, added one powerful line to Google’s policy: “Examples of games that are not social casino games: Sweepstakes casinos.”
The decision to target horse racing aggregators specifically comes at a time when the US gambling ecosystem is undergoing rapid change. With the continued expansion of regulated sports betting markets and heightened federal attention on advertising practices, tech platforms face mounting pressure to create safer and more transparent digital environments for bettors.
In a significant setback, a federal judge in California denied attempts by Apple, Google, and Meta Platforms to dismiss lawsuits accusing them of promoting illegal gambling through casino-style mobile apps. On 30 September, US District Judge Edward Davila in San Jose rejected the companies’ core argument that Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act shielded them from liability. The law typically protects online platforms from being held responsible for third-party content, but Davila concluded that the claims in these cases go beyond simple publishing.
Blow to affiliates
For affiliates, the update is a major setback. Many comparison websites rely heavily on Google Ads traffic to direct users to off-site betting operators, earning revenue through commissions or referral fees. With certification revoked, these platforms must now pivot their marketing strategies, invest in organic traffic growth, or shift focus to jurisdictions with more permissive advertising rules.
Licenced operators, by contrast, may find themselves at a competitive advantage, as Google’s policy effectively streamlines the advertising landscape in favour of those with direct wagering licences. Analysts suggest this could consolidate market visibility among already-dominant brands, while weakening the reach of smaller third-party intermediaries.
In the other side of the world, Google widened its restrictions on offline gambling advertisements to 42 countries. The expanded list includes seven countries within Africa, namely Algeria, Djibouti, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Sudan, and Tunisia. This reform aims to support compliance with local laws while limiting unauthorised promotion of physical gambling venues.
AGCOM vs Google
Meanwhile, in a separate case, the dispute between AGCOM and Google over gambling-related promotional videos hosted on YouTube has reached a decisive stage before the Court of Justice of the European Union. Advocate General Maciej Szpunar, in his conclusions in case C-421/24, outlines an interpretative direction that could reshape the boundaries of platform liability in the digital sphere.
The case stems from a €750,000 fine issued in 2022 by the Italian Communications Authority (AGCOM) against Google Ireland for hosting more than six hundred videos linked to the creator “Spike”, deemed to be unlawful gambling advertising under Italy’s “Decreto Dignità”.
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