Google Sets November 19 Cutoff for Gambling Ad Certification

The company has been introducing account-based applications since October. What was missing until now was a date for retiring the old form.

The Deadline Was Missing From October’s Notice

As 15M reported previously, Google introduced the new submission option in October, initially giving advertisers two routes. Those with access could apply under Admin > Policy > Account in Google Ads. Everyone else could continue using the Help Center while the feature reached more accounts.

Google’s October 15 announcement did not identify a closing date for the Help Center channel. The Gambling and games policy now carries a notice specifying November 19, 2026.

The change concerns where applications are filed. Google has not announced new licensing conditions or a faster approval process alongside the deadline. There is also no publication date attached to the November 19 notice, making it unclear exactly when Google added it.

What Affiliate Advertisers Need to Know

The new application route covers more than casino and sportsbook operators. Gambling comparison websites and affiliates also need Google’s approval to advertise in markets where gambling-promoting content is permitted.

For these sites, the paperwork goes beyond selecting a country. Google’s rules require separate applications for each targeted market. Affiliates must also ensure that the gambling operators they link to hold the necessary local authorizations.

Google also checks what’s on the website. Its requirements include:

• An age warning and information about gambling addiction;
• Terms and conditions, plus relevant licensing details;
• For affiliates without their own gambling licence, a footer stating that outbound links lead only to operators authorized in the targeted market.

A comparison site covering several countries may therefore have different operators available to promote in each one. Approval to advertise in one country cannot simply be carried over to another.

Current certificates are not being withdrawn as part of the November switch. Google does, however, require advertisers to seek recertification when material details in their original applications change.

Two Application Routes on the Same Page

There is a small inconsistency in Google’s Gambling and games policy. The notice near the top gives November 19 as the date when applications move entirely into Google Ads accounts. But farther down, under the application instructions, operators and affiliates are still directed to the Help Center form.

Both sets of instructions were on the page as of November 5. For now, advertisers can still use the older route. Google has not removed those directions, even though the closing date is less than two weeks away.