Google is expanding some gambling ad access while tightening certification, creating a split environment in which programmatic reach is widening even as advertiser vetting becomes stricter.
22 September 2026
The shift is marked by two key moves. First, on August 10, Google will extend its Authorized Buyers program to 37 new territories, allowing more operators to access programmatic inventory. Second, the company will update its Google Ads Gambling and Games policy on September 14, introducing stricter compliance requirements for direct advertisers.
The 37 markets include Argentina, Australia, Austria, and 33 other countries. But while more regions are gaining programmatic ad access, Google is narrowing the gate for advertisers directly approved on the platform.
Starting in September, certification will hinge on maintaining "good policy health" and meeting new standards that weigh both licensing status and a history of platform compliance. For the first time, Google will explicitly assess an advertiser's prior record of adhering to platform rules in deciding certification eligibility.
Additionally, approved websites must be directly owned and controlled by the applicant, while websites hosted on free subdomains or using standalone domains unrelated to gambling activities will be ineligible. These new requirements will embed a compliance-based certification process at the heart of Google's gambling advertising regime.
The effect will be to favor larger, more formal operators over smaller affiliates, third-party review sites, and other intermediaries. With stricter rules and higher barriers, Google may be forcing more advertisers to consolidate and conform to a formalized, audit-friendly model of operation and traffic generation.
Under increasing pressure
Under increasing pressure to control gambling ad content amidst concerns about illegal and problem gambling, platforms like Google have been tightening their policies and enforcement in recent years. Reports pegged the top 15 illegal gambling websites and 40 mirror sites at over 5.4 billion visits between April 2024 and March 2025 alone. As the volume of unsanctioned traffic has grown, Google has ramped up its policing of gambling advertisers.
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For advertisers caught navigating this policy regime of deepening scrutiny, one common workaround — moving beyond Google to other ad networks — is likely to accelerate. Industry sources suggest that when barriers on Google become too high, advertisers often pivot to less regulated alternatives like push, pop, native, banner, Telegram, and video ad platforms.
The leading specialized networks for gambling include push notification providers like Pushground, affiliate traffic specialists like Zeropark, and integrating adtech companies like PropellerAds. Push-enabled websites and mobile apps, Telegram bots, and pop-centric networks appear to be especially favored by advertisers as alternatives to Google.
Market impact
In coming months, the other shoe to drop for this dueling gambit of broader programmatic access with stricter certification will be the supply impact. Google hopes that increasing authorized buyers can increase the volume of gambling ad inventory in the 37 new markets without requiring Google itself to vet every advertiser.
However, with the compliance limits imposed in September, smaller operators and affiliates may struggle to keep certification, while larger players snap up their remaining inventory. Watch for enforcement actions, certification losses, and audits. While this may be a check on problem-content publishers, it may also create friction and drive more advertising into less regulated channels.
In a slower expansion phase, look for these trends to compress. Google's September update will offer a glimpse at how many advertisers pass through a thicker compliance filter, while the scale of programmatic-ready gambling inventory will test the ambitions of regional operators and affiliates. With stricter enforcement on the Google behemoth, a more opaque and less controlled industry bloom could follow in shadow along new adtech channels.