Source: Search Engine Roundtable by barry@rustybrick.com (Barry Schwartz). Read the original article
TL;DR Summary of Google Ads Gambling Policy Update for 2026
Starting March 23, 2026, Google Ads will require all accounts advertising gambling and games to maintain good policy health to qualify for certification. Accounts with multiple policy violations risk losing their ability to apply for or keep gambling certifications. Manager accounts with numerous infractions across managed accounts face stricter penalties. Additionally, certification is restricted to sites with owned domains—not free platforms or third-party subdomains.
Optimixed’s Overview: How Google’s 2026 Gambling Ad Policy Reinforces Account Integrity
Understanding Google’s Enhanced Policy Health Requirement
Google’s upcoming update to its Gambling and Games advertising policies emphasizes the importance of maintaining a strong compliance record across all accounts. This means advertisers must demonstrate an overall good policy health status, not just individual campaign compliance.
Key Implications for Advertisers and Manager Accounts
- Account-wide compliance: All accounts under a manager account (MCC) are evaluated collectively, linking the health of multiple accounts.
- Certification restrictions: Manager accounts with significant violations risk losing the ability to apply for new gambling certifications and may have existing certifications revoked.
- Definition of “significant”: Google has not clarified what volume of violations qualifies as significant, introducing some uncertainty.
Domain Ownership and Certification Eligibility
Google reinforces that gambling certification is only available for sites with a second-level domain owned and operated by the advertiser. Sites hosted on free platforms, third-party subdomains, or unrelated domains are not eligible, ensuring stricter control over advertiser authenticity.
