Google is set to revise its ‘Gambling and Games’ advertising policy, effective April 14, 2025. Before announcing the new guidelines formally, the tech giant shared a preview or provisional version of the new rules.
The updated policy will include amendments to country-specific regulations and also feature more detailed definitions of various gambling categories.
For instance, Google will now define gambling as “both gambling as defined by law under the regulatory framework in the country you are targeting with ads, and to anything that functions in the following way: Staking something of value on the outcome of events or processes determined by an element of chance with the opportunity to win something of value.”
These changes are meant to give advertisers in the gaming sector more clarity and enforce responsible gambling advertising. It also appears to target advertisers who had earlier claimed that games were not gambling, citing legal technicalities and other loopholes.
The new policy will need gambling advertisers to abide by local regulations and hold valid certifications. Aggregators and affiliates will continue to be allowed to promote legal online gambling sites, as long as they “provide information about, or a comparison of, gambling services.”
They will continue to be required to register with Google as a gambling advertiser. Affiliates that expand beyond the scope of information or comparison, however, potentially face restrictions.
Gambling and online gaming are rapidly growing in scope and Asian markets, India and China in particular, are major emerging and untapped ones. According to a PwC report, the Indian online gaming is estimated to reach INR 66,000 crore by the end of 2028, growing at a compounded annual growth rate of 14.5% between 2023–2028.
The Indian finance ministry has reportedly summoned stakeholders from the real-money gaming industry to discuss issues pertaining to money laundering in online gaming. The stakeholders will also apparently address challenges faced by the industry, including GST and the rising presence of offshore gambling companies in India.
Meanwhile, sports events continue to be big and bigger hits for the betting industry. BetMGM Sportsbook and Caesars Sportsbook both reported that Philadelphia Eagles’ 40-22 victory over the two-time defending champion Kansas City Chiefs was the most-bet single sporting event in each of their histories. Caesars also said it was the first Super Bowl in which more game parlays were bet than the more traditional straight wagers.
