YouTube intends to enforce stricter regulations on commercials promoting gambling and sports betting.
Heythere! Let's talk about YouTube's upcoming changes in their gambling and sports betting advertising policies, effective from March 19, 2025. Here's the scoop:
Bye-bye to unapproved providers
YouTube is tightening the screws on gambling and sports betting content, as reported by CNN [Link in English]. Starting from mid-March, the platform will cut off any content that refers to unapproved gambling sites that don't meet the legal requirements of YouTube and Google and are not certified by the two companies. This includes links, images, texts, logos, and verbal redirections.
Stricter rules for protecting the young ones
The new guidelines don't stop at external linking; they also include new safeguards for young viewers. Videos advertising gambling or sports betting content will only be accessible to users aged 18 and older. Users will need to log in and confirm their age in their account to view these videos. Un logged-in users will be shut out from gambling and sports betting content.
The stricter guidelines come in response to the sports betting boom in the USA, which has resulted in thousands of gambling-related videos on YouTube since it was legalized by the Supreme Court in 2018. Future videos promising guaranteed wins will be banned and removed from the platform.
April 14, 2025: More changes in the pipeline
Google, YouTube's parent company, plans to roll out additional gaming policy updates starting April 14, 2025. These updates include stricter definitions of gambling-promoting content, expanded country-specific licensing and authorization standards for advertisers, and new regulations for social casinos and mah-jong games.
An intriguing thing about Google's new guidelines is that they will be tailored to country-specific regulations. As of now, there's no word on whether these new guidelines will extend to other countries.
Remember, the upcoming policy changes for content creators involve restrictions on mentioning non-approved gambling services, displaying unauthorized gambling service logos, and including links to unapproved gambling platforms. Creators should also prepare for age-gating and creative limitations to comply with the new regulations.
Advertisers need to keep their documents up-to-date and implement robust age-gating measures to avoid penalties. The TV Masthead expansion offers new visibility for compliant gambling advertisers, but the compliance bar for creative assets has been raised. Stay tuned for more updates on these exciting changes!
[2] "How Will YouTube's New Gambling and Sports Betting Advertising Policies Affect You?" (2025). Media Insider. [3] "Google TV Masthead Policy Changes for Sports Betting Advertisers" (April 30, 2025). AdExchanger. [4] "Updated Gambling Advertising Policies for Affiliate Websites" (April 14, 2025). Affiliate Insider.
- YouTube's new gambling and sports betting advertising policies, effective from March 19, 2025, announce strict requirements for content creators, including the prohibition of mentioning non-approved gambling services, displaying unauthorized gambling service logos, and including links to unapproved gambling platforms.
- To protect young viewers, the new guidelines require users to log in and confirm their age in their account to access videos advertising gambling or sports betting content, while un logged-in users will be shut out from such content.
- Google, in response to these changes, plans to redefine gambling-promoting content, expand country-specific licensing and authorization standards for advertisers, and introduce new regulations for social casinos and mah-jong games starting April 14, 2025, linking to additional resources for more information ([2], [3], [4]).
