Context of the update
Google Ads has a dedicated Gambling and games section that governs advertising for online casinos, betting, lotteries and related products. For years, a separate sub‑type existed for social casino games — casino‑style games without real money payouts, available as apps or browser games.
Such projects could apply for certification and run ads in a limited list of countries, provided they met formal criteria: no real‑world winnings, in‑game currency and a focus on entertainment.
At the same time, the market saw the growth of sweepstakes casinos, where players receive virtual coins but can convert game outcomes into real‑world prizes or cash via additional mechanics and offers. This class of products is now in focus.
What changed in the policy
In the updated Google Ads Help (the Gambling and games section), there is now a clear statement that sweepstakes casinos are not considered social casino games and cannot be certified as social casinos.
In practice, Google separates:
- Classic social casinos — games with in‑game currency only, no real‑world winnings, where users play purely “for fun”;
- Sweepstakes models — projects where gameplay is tied to real‑world rewards (prizes, cash, converting coins into value).
The second type no longer falls under the “soft” social casino regime and is treated as online gambling with all associated licensing and geo‑targeting requirements.
Risks for campaigns
For existing accounts promoting sweepstakes casinos this means a higher risk of disapprovals and restrictions.
- Ads previously approved under the social casino framework may start receiving Gambling and games disapprovals.
- Landing pages with real‑world rewards, contests or coin‑to‑cash conversions will be treated as online gambling, not “entertainment only”.
- Continuing to operate under a social casino label increases the chance of account restrictions, up to suspension.
Practical steps for advertisers
If you work with social casino or sweepstakes projects, it makes sense to run through a basic checklist.
- Audit the product mechanics. Do you offer real‑world winnings, prizes or coin‑to‑value conversions? If yes, Google will not treat the project as a social casino.
- Rebuild positioning. Remove any wording in creatives and on landings that can be interpreted as a promise of winnings or monetisation.
- Align jurisdictions. Cross‑check the target countries with local law and make sure both the game format and advertising are allowed at all.
- Update documentation. Reflect the actual mechanics in your privacy policy, terms of use and user agreement.
- Embed pre‑flight compliance. Introduce a mandatory policy check for ads and landing pages before uploading them into Google Ads.
What this means for business
Google continues to clean up areas where users can be misled about the nature of a product. For performance marketing, the takeaway is simple: compliance is part of product design, not a last‑mile step before launch.
If your game is built around a “play and get value” promise, it falls into the online gambling regime with all that implies: licences, allowed countries, separate certification and strict format and targeting limitations.
Short breakdown of typical scenarios
- You have sweepstakes mechanics → you can’t advertise as a “social casino”. Either remove real‑world rewards or follow the online gambling track where it is legally allowed.
- Media / affiliate site → editorial reviews and news are acceptable, but promo codes or calls‑to‑action that drive users into prohibited mechanics will trigger disapprovals if advertised.
- Hybrid model (“fun coins + convertible prizes”) → high chance that moderation reclassifies the content. In practice, you should separate products and marketing tracks.
Sources and useful links
- Official: Google Ads Help — Gambling and games (the Social casino games section explicitly lists sweepstakes casinos as an example of games that are not social casino games).
- Media: CasinoBeats — Google reclassifies sweepstakes casinos.
- Media: Covers — Sweepstakes casinos lose Google Ads certification.
Note: in borderline jurisdictions, final policy interpretation relies on the local law of the target country. The English‑language Google Help version is considered canonical.
Also searched for: