Google Ads extends gambling certification to every games category

Google Ads extends gambling certification to every games category

On 14 September 2026 Google updates the Gambling and games policy in Google Ads. The company posted the change on 13 July 2026: certification rules first launched in March now apply to all categories under that policy. Any account that wants to advertise in those categories must demonstrate good policy health.

That is Google’s published platform rule. It is not a national licence and it is not a Bonusjungle listing decision.

Manager accounts sit in the same latch

Manager Accounts (MCCs) that see repeated online-gambling certificate revocations, or that manage accounts repeatedly flagged for gambling violations while using a certificate, forfeit eligibility to apply for any new online-gambling certificates. Existing certifications may be revoked.

Google also restates domain rules already on the application: websites hosted on free subdomains are ineligible, and the domain must be directly owned and controlled by the business. Domains unrelated to gambling are ineligible for certification on their own.

What the page does not decide

The Help article says the Certification section of the policy will be updated when the requirements take effect on 14 September 2026. It does not publish a country list in that note, and it does not name operators.

For this desk the useful line is the gate: ads in the Gambling and games bucket now share one health standard, including social-casino and adjacent game categories that previously sat outside the March roll-out.

Why it matters here

Advertising rules on a large ad network sit next to licensed-market advertising notes already on the site, including [Australia’s Adstop package](/news/australia-adstop-red-flag-reforms). Player-facing limits stay on responsible play and the small print.