Google has updated its Gambling and games policy for Authorized Buyers. Starting August 24, you can run online and offline gambling ads through Open Auction in all permitted countries, and separate Google certification is no longer required.
Previously, the options were significantly more limited. You could run iGaming ads through Open Auction only in the US, and the advertiser’s domain required Google certification. In other permitted countries, you could run such ads through Preferred Deals and Programmatic Guaranteed.
Starting August 24, Google expanded Open Auction to the full list of permitted countries. It currently includes 38 countries, including Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the US.
Authorized Buyers is not Google Ads. Through the platform, DSPs, ad networks, and other buyers programmatically purchase ad impressions on publisher websites and apps in the Google ecosystem. In Open Auction, buyers participate in an RTB auction for available impressions.
At the same time, the main restrictions for iGaming ads remain in place. You can show ads only in permitted countries, they must comply with local laws and must not target minors, and the landing page must include responsible gaming information.
The rules cover more than just iGaming ads. Google also includes websites with bonuses and promo codes, educational materials, odds calculators and other software, predictions and odds, as well as affiliate websites promoting iGaming content.
The change does not apply to Google Ads. As we wrote earlier, starting September 14, Google will separately expand certification requirements to all Gambling and games categories in Google Ads. The new rules from August 24 apply specifically to ad buying through Authorized Buyers.
