Google Ads certification for online betting: own domain by March 2026
The tech giant updates its "Games and Gambling" policy to eliminate the use of free subdomains and misleading landing pages. Starting March 23, only advertisers with a spotless account history and verifiable domain ownership will be able to buy traffic.
The digital advertising ecosystem for the iGaming sector will face a new quality filter that promises to clean up the market from grey operators and aggressive affiliates. Google has officially announced a critical update to its requirements for obtaining gambling advertiser certification, which will take effect on March 23, 2026.
The measure aims to directly tackle two endemic problems in programmatic advertising in this niche: the use of "bridge pages" hosted on free services and the creation of disposable accounts to evade previous bans. According to the new guideline, the platform will require proof of adherence to the "Google good health" policy, a standard that evaluates not only the current campaign but also the historical integrity of the billing account.
The end of free subdomains: The new technical requirement on domain ownership
The most disruptive change lies in the technical requirements for the destination URL. Until now, many advertisers used subdomains on mass hosting platforms to launch quick campaigns. Starting in March, Google will require that the certification applicant be the legal owner of the second-level domain (SLD).
This means that sites hosted on free web services or those operating under a subdomain whose root domain belongs to an external platform (for example, https://www.google.com/search?q=casino-online.wordpress.com or https://www.google.com/search?q=apuestas.blogspot.com) will no longer be certified. Google's goal is to ensure that the advertiser has full control and legal responsibility over the website, closing the door to the common churn and burn strategies (create and burn sites) typical in low-level affiliate marketing. Additionally, the regulation establishes that websites without a real and evident content relationship to gambling will not receive certification, a maneuver designed to prevent cloaking or link masking.
Compliance history and "Good Health": Google will block accounts with past violations
The update also tightens oversight of the advertiser's historical behavior. According to digital marketing consultant Adriaan Dekker, punctual compliance will no longer be enough to get the algorithm’s approval. The tech giant will review the entire account history, looking for patterns of repeated violations or previous certification revocations.
If an account has had payment issues, attempts to circumvent systems, or temporary suspensions, it is very likely that its application will be automatically rejected under the criterion of lack of "good health." This measure aligns with the expansion of restrictions Google implemented at the end of 2025 in 35 countries, where it severely limited ads for physical gambling and lotteries to comply with increasingly strict local regulatory frameworks, such as those seen in Brazil and parts of the European Union.
With these adjustments, Google seeks to protect users from scams and ensure that high-value advertising inventory (such as keyword searches for "online casino" or "betting bonuses") is occupied exclusively by operators with demonstrable licenses and professional web infrastructure.
Tags: Google Ads, Google casino advertising, Google betting advertising