Google tightens certification for gambling advertising
An infraction committed by one advertiser can end up costing certification to all those who share its management structure. This is the most practically impactful change in the update to Google's Gambling and Games Policy, which came into effect on September 14 for all markets where it permits advertising in the sector.
The company had already announced in June that it would tighten its rules globally, and now that announcement has become effective text. Since that date, any gambling and betting advertiser must meet more stringent conditions both to obtain and to retain certification.
The first requirement is not new but has changed in scale. In March, the company had begun asking advertisers in certain markets to demonstrate a consistent compliance record, meaning a clean past regarding infractions. With the update, this standard is no longer applied to a selected group and now extends to all categories covered by the policy.
The second point concerns site ownership. Advertisers must own the domains they use in their campaigns, which excludes from certification those who operate on free subdomains. Google also does not accept applications for domains without a direct link to the activity, a loophole that until now allowed sector campaigns to be certified behind generic sites.
The third point is what reorders the risk. Manager accounts, known as MCCs, centralize the management of multiple advertisers and now respond as a block. As explained by the company, an MCC that accumulates repeated revocations of online gambling certificates, or whose managed accounts are repeatedly flagged for infractions while operating under certificate, loses the ability to request new certificates and may have existing ones revoked. The consequence is that an infraction detected in one account exposes the rest of those under the same manager.
A seemingly minor detail closes the document with concrete effects: in case of any discrepancy, the English text prevails, as it is what the company considers valid when judging an infraction and deciding the penalty, so translations do not serve as a defense.
Google certification is the permit that enables operators and affiliates to purchase gambling advertising on the search engine and display network, and it is granted market by market according to the local license accredited by each advertiser. Therefore, any adjustment to its conditions immediately impacts the acquisition cost for regulated operators and the structure of agencies and affiliate networks that manage several accounts under one umbrella.
Tags: Google Ads, Gambling advertising certification, MCC accounts, Gambling and gaming policy