On November 19, 2025, Google updated its Gambling and Games ad policies, extending the ban on offline gambling advertisements to 35 nations where promotions for physical gambling are illegal.
Offline gambling includes physical, real-world activities like casinos and offline poker, as opposed to online gambling and social casino games, which have different certification requirements.
As a result, the promotion of offline gambling is prohibited in these locations: Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Djibouti, Egypt, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Korea, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, the Maldives, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Sudan, Syria, Taiwan, Thailand, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Vietnam, Yemen, as well as Bulgaria, Estonia, Italy, Lithuania, Northern Ireland, Turkey, and Ukraine.
Google’s Enforcement and Compliance
By defining offline gambling and its scope in detail for the first time within Google’s policy framework, this update aims to make ad rules more understandable.
Advertisers that promote offline gambling establishments must abide by these jurisdiction-specific prohibitions, making sure that no advertisements for actual casinos or venues of a similar nature appear in areas that are prohibited.
Online gambling advertisements are still subject to various laws, and countries that are permitted to use them must have current licenses and certifications.
For gambling advertising, Google places a strong emphasis on following local laws and strict certification requirements.
Account suspension or permanent bans are possible consequences of noncompliance, and recent policy changes have tightened enforcement.
By separating real-world gambling from digital and social gaming advertising, the move is in line with global regulatory trends and offers operators and marketers more precise guidance.
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