Gambling advertising in 2026: A guide to UK and EU rules
Gambling advertising in Europe comes with a catch: a campaign that’s allowed in one country could be banned next door. Gambling advertising regulations vary by market, channel, product, and audience, while Google and Meta set their own rules for online gambling advertising.
This article explores the key rules in the UK and major EU markets, industry standards, platform policies, the debate over ad bans, and presents a practical compliance checklist that acts as a starting point for operators.
Key findings
- Gambling advertising rules differ sharply by country, so a compliant campaign in one market can breach the law in another.
- The UK relies on LCCP licence conditions plus the CAP and BCAP codes, enforced by the ASA, with affiliates and influencers held to the same standards as operators.
- The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and France each take a different regulatory approach, ranging from Belgium’s default ban to France’s supervised approval model.
- Google and Meta both run their own certification and approval processes on top of national law, meaning operators face two separate compliance checks for every market.
- The debate over banning gambling advertising outright remains unresolved, with child protection concerns weighed against fears that bans push consumers towards unlicensed operators.
What counts as gambling advertising
Gambling advertising covers any marketing activity intended to promote a gambling product or encourage interest in a gambling service, including:
- Paid adverts and operator-owned social media posts
- Direct marketing and sponsorship
- Affiliate promotion and influencer marketing
- Free bets, free spins, cashback, and bonus offers
- Other content intended to promote a gambling service
However, different rules and codes apply across different countries, so licensed operators must follow the gambling advertising rules of each market.
Why gambling advertising rules matter for operators and suppliers
Gambling advertising regulations affect how operators and suppliers can promote their products, which can create risks for the business.
- Commercial: Restrictions can reduce the ways companies attract customers and limit sponsorship deals. They may also stop certain products from being promoted in a market.
- Compliance: Poor gambling marketing compliance can lead to restrictions or a licence review.
- Reputation: Responsible gambling advertising can help protect public trust, especially when adverts appear around sport or could reach children. It also matters when people at risk of gambling harm may see them.
How gambling advertising is regulated in the UK
Although this section refers to the UK, the Gambling Commission actually licenses commercial gambling in Great Britain, covering England, Scotland, and Wales. Northern Ireland has a separate legal framework.
Gambling advertising in the UK is covered by both licence conditions and advertising codes. Under the LCCP, licensed operators must market their services responsibly. They must also follow the CAP Code and BCAP Code, which are applied by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).
Requirements listed by these codes include:
- Ads can’t encourage irresponsible gambling or present it in a way that could cause harm
- They can’t take advantage of vulnerable people or suggest that gambling can solve personal or money problems
- Ads can’t strongly appeal to under-18s or be placed in media aimed at them
- People under 25, or those who appear to be under 25, generally can’t be shown gambling or play a major role in an advert.
Affiliate and influencer content also falls under these regulations.
Melanie Ellis, partner at Northridge Law, told European Gaming:
‘A common misconception is that operators are not responsible for content produced by third parties, but there are many cases where both the affiliate or influencer and the gambling operator have been named in an ASA ruling…the ASA will look at the arrangement as a whole, but with a particular focus on control.
‘If the operator exercises any degree of control over the content, including by providing requirements for content or having a right of pre-approval, and there is some form of payment or other compensation, the content is likely to be treated as advertising by the operator.’
A recent ASA ruling shows how some of the requirements listed above work in practice. On 1 July 2026, the ASA upheld a complaint against a Mr Vegas ad after finding that two cartoon slot tiles were likely to appeal strongly to under-18s.
Although Mr Vegas had used Meta’s controls to target adults, the ASA found that children were still likely to see the ad. The targeting controls, therefore, didn’t make the images acceptable under the CAP Code.
Ellis explains what the ASA’s decision means for operators:
‘The ASA’s decision about the Pink Elephants 2 title is consistent with previous rulings, as this featured imagery of a brightly coloured cute animal, but more noteworthy is the decision to also uphold the complaint about Razor Returns, which featured a (less cute) robotic shark. The decision on Razor Returns somewhat extends the range of imagery that is likely to be considered as having strong appeal.
The fact that two further titles (Sweet Bonanza and Big Bass Bonanza 2) were not found to breach the rule demonstrates that cartoon characters are not prohibited from gambling advertising per se, but operators must continue to be cautious because whether characters have strong appeal to under 18s is inherently subjective.’
Separate from the licence conditions and advertising codes, there’s also an industry restriction covering betting ads on TV set by the Betting and Gaming Council. Before the 9pm watershed, the ‘whistle-to-whistle’ restriction prevents these ads during live sporting events and for five minutes before and after them. However, this is an industry measure, not a blanket legal gambling advertising watershed.
Gambling advertising rules across the EU: A market-by-market snapshot
Each EU country organises its own gambling market, so there’s no single licence or advertising rule that allows a campaign to run across the bloc. However, we provide information for some of the biggest markets in Europe, even though this isn’t a complete list.
Netherlands: Untargeted advertising and sponsorship restrictions
Since 1 July 2023, untargeted online gambling advertising in the Netherlands has been banned on TV and radio, in print, and in public spaces. Targeted online gambling advertising and on-demand ads may continue if:
- Users can opt out
- Operators use the best available techniques to show that at least 95% of those reached are aged 24 and over
Furthermore, since 1 July 2025, online gambling operators have been banned from sponsoring sports clubs and sporting events in the Netherlands, including through branding on team shirts.
Belgium: A default ban with narrow exceptions
Under Belgium’s 2023 Royal Decree, gambling advertising in Belgium is banned by default unless a specific exception applies. Affiliate websites may advertise licensed operators under certain conditions, but other channels face strict limits:
- Paid social media advertising is prohibited, and sharing, comments, likes, and calls to action must also be disabled where possible
- Adverts generally need an age indication and the required preventive message
- Natural people, fictional characters, and characters taken from games can’t be shown
- Gambling branding can’t appear on the front of sportswear. Other logos are limited to 75 cm², while advertising at sports venues is prohibited.
France: Permitted, but closely supervised
Gambling advertising in France is allowed, but operators’ promotional plans are closely supervised. Licensed online operators, FDJ (Française des Jeux), and PMU (Pari Mutuel Urbain) (France’s historic state-backed gambling operators) must submit their promotional strategies to the ANJ for approval each year.
The ANJ reviews these plans based on two main aims:
- Preventing excessive or pathological gambling
- Protecting minors
Operators must also submit annual action plans explaining how they’ll prevent excessive and underage gambling and promote responsible gambling.
This supervision has taken on added weight around gambling advertising for the World Cup 2026, after ANJ research found 41% of French World Cup viewers planned to bet with a licensed operator, prompting the regulator to launch a public awareness campaign alongside its usual oversight.
Germany: Time limits and strict advertising controls
Licensed operators can run gambling advertising in Germany as long as they stick to strict rules. Adverts can’t target minors or other people who may be at greater risk of harm.
They also can’t mislead people about prizes or winning chances, or suggest that gambling can solve money problems.
Other key limits include:
- TV, radio, and internet adverts for virtual slots, online poker, and online casino games are banned between 6 am and 9 pm.
- Sports-betting adverts for the event being shown can’t run immediately before or during its live broadcast on that channel.
- Active athletes and sports officials can’t appear in sports-betting adverts.
- Personally addressed adverts for gambling require prior consent, which means that advertisers must check that the person isn’t on the exclusion register before sending them.
- Affiliate pay can’t depend on an operator’s revenue, and also can’t be based on how much players deposit or stake.
Google also introduced stricter requirements for Germany on 25 September 2024. Only operators and brokers licensed by the Joint Gambling Authority of the Federal States (GGL) can apply for Google certification to advertise gambling products in Germany, meaning that Google doesn’t accept applications from services that don’t meet this requirement (including websites bringing together links to offers from several operators).
The EGBA code and cross-border industry standards
EGBA’s responsible gambling advertising code is a voluntary industry standard for gambling adverts in the EU, EEA, and the UK. The code applies to EGBA members and other organisations that agree to follow it, with operators having to make sure their contracted affiliates and advertising partners follow it where relevant.
The code covers:
- Reviewing content and protecting minors
- Adding responsible gambling messages to adverts
- Using age controls on social media
- Labelling paid content and following sponsorship rules
These measures give operators and affiliates a common approach to responsible gambling advertising across different markets to support safer gambling.
However, the EGBA code only adds to national rules; local laws and stricter industry standards come first. This means that operators and affiliates must check the rules in each country where a campaign runs, because following the code alone doesn’t mean that an advert meets local set standards.
Platform advertising policies: Google, Meta, and social media
National laws decide which gambling adverts are legal in each market, while platform rules decide which adverts can run on Google and Meta. Advertisers, therefore, face two approval processes.
| Platform | What advertisers need to know |
| The Google gambling ad policy allows online gambling advertising only for approved products in supported countries. Advertisers may need ad certification and a local licence, and must apply separately for each country. Landing pages need responsible gambling information, and targeting must be age-appropriate. | |
| Meta | The Meta gambling ad policy requires prior approval. Advertisers must show that the activity is licensed or otherwise legal in the target market. Adverts can’t target under-18s or markets that Meta doesn’t support. |
However, the bottom line is that each platform policy makes advertisers responsible for following local law, meaning that Google certification or Meta approval can’t replace the permissions required under national rules.
Google also tightened its gambling ad certification rules, with its wider ‘good policy health’ test due to take effect on 14 September 2026. Repeated certificate removals may affect eligibility for manager accounts. Free subdomains don’t apply, and neither do domains the advertisers don’t own and control.
However, paid adverts are only one way gambling brands reach people online; promotion can also appear through influencer and tipster accounts without going through the same approval process.
In fact, research commissioned by Entain recorded 72 examples of UK-facing unlicensed betting promotion via influencer and tipster accounts. These examples promoted more than 30 unlicensed gambling sites, with some posts not being labelled as ads and some gambling clips including referral codes or affiliate links.
The debate over banning gambling advertising
The debate centres on protecting people without making licensed operators harder to recognise.
- Supporters of an ad ban, like the WHO, argue that gambling promotion can normalise gambling for children. Similar concerns were raised in a petition submitted to the European Parliament, which called for an EU-wide ban on advertising by gambling companies. The petitioner argued that frequent exposure to gambling adverts could put young people and other vulnerable groups at risk.
- Opponents of a ban argue that licensed brands may become less visible while illegal sites continue advertising. For example, Maltese MEP Peter Agius challenged the idea of a ban during the hearing on that petition, agreeing that minors need protection but warning that a broad ban pushes players towards illegal sites. The Betting and Gaming Council echoed this concern in Britain ahead of the 2026 World Cup. The industry body argued that illegal operators were increasing their online advertising while licensed brands faced tighter limits, making it harder for consumers to recognise regulated services.
Compliance checklist for marketers and compliance teams
The below checklist is a practical starting point to support your marketing campaigns:
- Market: Confirm that the operator, product, and advertising channel are legal in the target country.
- Platform: Check that the account has the right Google ad certification or Meta authorisation for the product and country.
- Audience: Review age limits, exclusion lists, placements, and safeguards for vulnerable people under the relevant national rules.
- Creative: Remove celebrities, athletes, wording, or images that may strongly appeal to under-18s.
- Offers: Make bonus terms accurate and easy to see, plus check that the offer follows local gambling advertising rules.
- Third parties: Require affiliates, influencers, agencies, and sponsors to follow the same responsible gambling advertising rules and label paid content.
- Evidence: Keep approvals, creative versions, audience settings, licence evidence, platform certificates, and publication records in one audit file.
The final two checks should be supported by a clear approval and monitoring process. For UK operators, Ellis explains:
‘Where practical, a pre-approval process for all advertising content is a sensible additional precaution. Particularly thinking about the potential for regulatory action by the Gambling Commission, keeping copies of all advertising material along with a clear audit trail of review, approval and monitoring logs will be key.’
To keep this process and audit trail up to date, make sure to repeat all checks whenever the campaign or target market changes.
FAQs
Why is gambling advertising allowed in some countries but not others?
Each country sets its own gambling laws, so rules on advertising differ by market, channel and audience. There’s no single EU-wide standard, which is why a campaign allowed in one country can be banned in a neighbouring one.
Which countries have banned or heavily restricted gambling advertising?
The Netherlands has banned untargeted advertising and gambling sponsorship of sports teams, while Belgium bans gambling advertising by default, with only narrow exceptions. Germany allows advertising but restricts timing and content, and France permits it under close regulatory supervision.
What are Google’s and Meta’s rules on gambling advertising?
Both platforms require operators to hold certification or approval before running gambling ads, and advertisers must prove the activity is licensed in the target market. Neither platform’s approval replaces the legal permissions required under national law.
Does the EU have one set of gambling advertising rules, or does it vary by country?
It varies by country. Each EU member state regulates its own gambling market, and the voluntary EGBA code only supplements national rules rather than replacing them.
What is the UK’s CAP Code and how does it apply to gambling ads?
The CAP Code is the advertising standard applied by the Advertising Standards Authority to gambling marketing in the UK. It bans ads that could encourage irresponsible gambling, exploit vulnerable people, or appeal strongly to under-18s.
Can gambling be advertised around major sporting events like the World Cup?
In the UK, the industry’s ‘whistle-to-whistle’ restriction stops betting ads on TV during live sporting events and for five minutes either side, though this is a voluntary measure rather than law. The Betting and Gaming Council has also raised concerns about illegal operators advertising more heavily around events like the 2026 World Cup.
How can someone complain about a gambling advert?
In the UK, complaints are made to the Advertising Standards Authority, which investigates and rules on breaches of the CAP Code. Equivalent bodies handle complaints in other markets, depending on the country’s regulator.
Is there a link between gambling advertising and gambling harm?
This is contested. Groups such as the WHO argue that gambling promotion can normalise gambling for children and vulnerable groups, while opponents say restricting licensed advertising just makes illegal operators more visible by comparison.
The post Gambling advertising in 2026: A guide to UK and EU rules appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.