Gambling-Related Policy Updates You Need to Know for Each Social Media Platform

Reading Time: 9 minutes

Author: May Thawdar Oo

The online gaming industry has been on steroids since 2020, with PwC projecting it to reach $321 billion by 2026. However, the push to provide safety to users per regulations has put social media advertising and gambling at loggerheads.

As a result, different social media platforms have different online gambling and gaming advertising policy updates to encourage safe betting practices.

Some users find ways to circumvent existing regulations, hence the need for regular updates. Using social media for gambling advertisements is allowed on some platforms and countries. However, this must be done under strict social media gambling advertising policies.

We’ll review some policies on popular social media and streaming platforms to give you a heads-up. That will help you know how to promote gambling-related content on social media.

Let’s get into the new policy updates you must know.

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Top Social Media Platforms and Gambling-related Policy Updates

The responsible gambling policy is at the heart of these updates. Let’s run through each social media gambling-related advertising policy update.

Facebook Takes a Tough Stand on Advertisers and Promoters

Meta has over 3 billion monthly active users and is one of the most prominent targets for advertisers. Its streaming functionality is less robust than that of YouTube or Twitch. However, users can still drop gambling-related text, images, and video posts on their timelines.

They can also create short clips for stories and reels about their casino or sportsbetting experience. So, is Meta against social media gambling advertising? Of course not, but the rules for that are stringent.

Users who want to promote gambling on Meta must obtain written permission from Meta Technologies. The application form is available on its online gambling and gaming advertising policy page. Even so, the platform only permits specific ad account IDs.

Any approval will be limited to the URLs listed, including the URL for the App Store and the territories. That means you can only advertise within the approved regions and to those over 18 years old. 

And what are the determining factors for getting approved by Meta?

When applying, such a party must prove that a regulatory body licenses the betting service. Another factor is proving that the service is lawfully established in the target territories.

It is also worth knowing what Meta considers betting-related, which includes the following:

• Direct gaming, including casino games, lotteries, fantasy sports, poker, bingo, raffles, sweepstakes, and skill game tournaments
• Games where monetary value (directly or indirectly) is required for entry and awarded as a prize
• Ads that lead back to landing pages that promote online games and betting. That includes affiliates and aggregators that do not host gaming activities.

Conversely, Meta does not consider the following as online betting-related content which does not require permission:

• Physical betting establishments: these include brick-and-mortar casinos, streaming of offline tournaments like poker, etc. However, the ad must not promote online betting.
• State or government lotteries
• Free-to-play games

Twitch Goes for an Outright Ban

Twitch has held the top spot among the popular streaming platforms for online gamers and esports players. Also, you can find creators with millions of followers streaming, reviewing, or promoting brands and games.

Last year, the streaming platform rolled out an outright ban on sites that include roulette, slots, and dice games. The backing clause prohibited sites not licensed in the United States or other jurisdictions or by a reputable regulatory body with thorough consumer protection.

This policy update began as a ban on sharing links or referral codes to websites that contain slots, dice games, and roulette. Twitch did this to protect its community from the rising scams and harm in the online betting industry. 

However, users and promoters found a way to circumvent this regulation. Twitch responded with an outright ban on streaming sites that contained slots, roulette, and dice games. 

Allowed sites are those licensed in the United States or regulatory bodies that provide sufficient protection, including the following:

• Deposit limits
• Waiting periods
• Age verification

The new policy extends to the domain extensions of these prohibited sites and the free social versions. Also, users cannot drop links to these sites in chats.

Websites that feature poker, fantasy sports, and sports betting are excluded from the ban, which means you can stream them without any violations.

Accounts that violate this policy will receive enforcement. Also, Twitch promises to issue warnings to users who may need help understanding the update.

You can review the policy language page for more information on the ban. Nonetheless, expect more iterations from the streaming giant in the future.

TikTok to Launch In-App Games

While gambling on TikTok is prohibited, the social media giant looks set to launch in-app games. TikTok shot to prominence in 2020, becoming the most downloaded app in the same year. Consequently, its rise brought about the popularity of short-form content.

We saw other social media giants like Meta and YouTube emulate this category with YouTube Shorts and Instagram reels. While the entertainment revved on, one thing was clear from the start: TikTok prohibited using its social media for casinos or access to betting-related platforms.

The following sums up TikTok’s policies on social media advertising and gambling:

• Prohibition on promoting, selling, soliciting, or facilitating access to sports betting, casinos, lotteries, fantasy sports, and other gambling activities — that includes efforts towards online and offline establishments provided a deposit and cashout exist.
• Prohibition on promoting, selling, soliciting, or facilitating access to free credits, coupons, and vouchers in casinos, whether in print or digital.
• Prohibition on promoting, selling, soliciting, or facilitating access to websites, products, or software that drives traffic to casino games. It also extends to contents like an odds calculator, rules, strategies, tips, tricks, forecasts, etc.
• Prohibition on promoting, selling, soliciting, or facilitating access to games that rely on luck or chance, like scratch cards, bingo, etc. This applies only to games with a monetary prize or something valuable.
• Prohibition on promoting, selling, soliciting, or facilitating access to instruments, devices, tools, props, and accessories for casinos

In another development, the social media channel is set to launch an exclusive mobile gaming tab. However, this update is not surprising, as Facebook already has Facebook Gaming, where users can play games. Hence, TikTok looks to cash in on the popularity of gaming content.

Twitter Maintains Its Extensive Policy

Twitter may have had a change of leadership and layoffs in late 2022, but its policy on betting remains. Elon Musk has undoubtedly implemented changes to the platform in many regards. We’ve seen the most recent change on the blue tick verification.

The iGaming social media advertising policy on Twitter applies to tweets, accounts, and trends. It prohibits promoting betting-related content, except in regions where the law or regulations allow it. Even so, advertisers may require authorization from Twitter in specific cases.

A user can gain authorization by contacting the Twitter account team. This process differs based on the included cases.

The following cases or products apply to the policy:

• Online casinos, bingo, and sports betting
• Physical casinos (sole establishments)
• Online sites for fantasy sports
• Content on bonus codes, coupons, vouchers, and other redeemable betting content
• Websites and ebooks that facilitate or lead to online betting content include affiliates.
• Betting-related software and a poker odds calculator
• Sites that provide tips, handicapping, odds, sports picks, forecasts, and a poker odds calculator
• Scratch card games
• Lotteries
• Games and apps for monetary play

Twitter does not prohibit hotels with casinos from running ads or posting content, provided the focus is on the hotels. It does not also prohibit news on fantasy sports.

Besides these cases, Twitter has specific requirements for regions and countries. What may be permitted in one place may be prohibited in another. Hence, you should review your target country’s particular online gambling laws and acts before advertising.

Google Treads Softly, Takes Ads for Horse Racing

Google promotes responsible betting in full compliance with industry standards and local laws. The search engine giant is the go-to spot for advertisers, promoting various products to consumers. However, gambling advertisements on Google must comply with its policies and have a suitable Google Ads certification.

The ads must target countries that approve online or offline betting, whichever is the case. Furthermore, the landing pages of such sites must contain information on responsible betting. Minors must not be targeted in any ad.

You should also ensure compliance with local regulations in the areas you want to reach. Google allows the following under certain circumstances:

• Promotion of physical and real-money betting and physical establishments
• Promotion of online real-money betting
• Promotion of sites with links to real-money betting—sites that contain bonus codes, vouchers, poker odds calculators, tips, strategies, etc.
• Promotion of internet games that require money wagers and pay out real-money prizes

Google also allows the advertising of social casinos, provided there is no opportunity to win real money. Also, the ads must come from a duly certified Google Ads account.

The policy on this platform is not as tight-knit as on other social media channels. However, you must confirm the country-specific restrictions before you advertise on Google.

This search giant is never done with its policies, as it rolls out regular updates. The latest debuted in April 2023 with a new update to its US country-specific policy. Consequently, Google announced the acceptance of ads on horse racing targeting Massachusetts and Arizona.

Advertisers must obtain certificates before advertising on the platform. The application for certification opened on 26 April 2023.

Instagram Follows Facebook Policies

Instagram’s policies are primarily the same as those on Facebook and Meta. The social media channel prohibits the promotion of unregulated betting products and services. That means products or services that are not subject to any government regulatory body.

Advertisers must not promote betting products and services to users under the age of 18. In addition, gaming products and services that are illegal in the target country are prohibited.

You can refer to Facebook’s (Meta) comprehensive policy on advertising betting-related content.

LinkedIn Sticks With Outright Ban

LinkedIn is a major social networking platform for the business community. Their advertising policy is extensive but precise on betting-related content.

Users must not promote betting-related content and sweepstakes. That is because the platform regards them under its prohibited content policy, which also includes ads related to affiliate advertising.

Unfortunately, LinkedIn does not expand on this policy beyond outright banning such content. That contrasts with other social media platforms that mention specifics.

From the looks of things, positing or advertising anything related to online or offline betting is prohibited.

How These Policy Updates Affect iGaming Advertising Strategy

Crafting the best iGaming content marketing strategies requires considering these policies. It starts with the platform you wish to use, whether it is Facebook, Twitch, TikTok, Twitter, or Google. These social media channels have different standings regarding betting-related advertising, although they all ban betting.

Another point to note is the ad account and permission. While you can post news about fantasy sports on some platforms, you may need approval to run any betting-related ad. Failure to comply may result in an account ban.

One final thing to remember is that even though some social media channels prohibit online betting-related content, they allow content that relates to offline betting. For example, Twitter does not ban ads for hotels with casinos.

Facebook does not prohibit streaming tournaments like poker or ads in brick-and-mortar casinos. Conversely, it is against online betting-related ads.

Gambling Isn’t Going Away, But Policies Have Become More Stringent

Google regularly updates its policies regarding online betting. It could be new regulations for specific countries or regions. Even so, it is worth keeping an eye on regularly.

Now may be the time to review your online social media advertising strategy if you haven’t done so already. Obtain permission where necessary or partner with ad accounts that are permitted. Facebook and Google allow advertising from authorized ad accounts.

A simple request to the advertising team of your preferred platform should be enough. However, ensure the service or product you want to promote is legal in the target country. Meta requires proof of the licensing body behind such services or products.

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