For years, many affiliates treated advertising rules as the operator’s problem. The operator held the licence, so the operator carried the risk. That assumption is now being tested from several directions at once. Platforms are tightening their rules, national regulators are introducing licensing for affiliates, and US states are targeting the marketing layer directly. This October, the squeeze has become hard to ignore.
Google tightens its certification rules
Google announced revised gambling ad requirements on 14 September 2026, with the changes due to take effect in October. The rules include wider certification requirements for campaigns across several Asian jurisdictions. A product permitted in one market may not qualify for advertising in another, so affiliates running campaigns across multiple countries face more checks before anything goes live.
The new rules also apply directly to affiliates and aggregators. Affiliates must make clear that outbound links on their sites lead to properly licensed gambling businesses. Google also treats social casino advertising separately from online gambling, and requires separate certification for online gambling campaigns. For businesses managing several markets and accounts, the practical effect is more paperwork and more delays before campaigns are approved.
Croatia closes the door
Google has gone further in some markets. From 7 October 2026, it stopped allowing media platforms and affiliates to publish gambling ads or promotions targeting audiences in Croatia. Existing certifications for online gambling advertisers in Croatia have been revoked, and new applications are no longer accepted.
The change follows tough new rules introduced by the Croatian government at the start of 2026. Those rules include a ban on gambling adverts on TV, radio and online platforms between 6 am and 11 pm. Sponsorships remain permitted, but only to display a company’s logo, name and trademark, without promotions or calls to action.
YouTube reopens, but affiliates may stay out
Not every platform change is restrictive. YouTube announced on 7 October that it would extend Masthead advertising to certified online gambling advertisers from 21 October 2026. That partly reverses a restriction introduced in 2021. The update, however, excludes gambling-promotional advertisers that are not subject to mandatory state or national registration requirements. For affiliates, that distinction could decide whether they can buy the placement at all.
The lesson is that a platform opening its doors does not mean every business can walk through. Affiliates should check their own advertiser category and their regulatory position before planning a booking, because eligibility can differ from the operator they promote.
Bulgaria introduces an affiliate licence
Bulgaria has moved from advertising rules to licensing for affiliates. The new regime took effect on 1 August 2026, and existing affiliates were given until 15 August to apply for a licence. Affiliates face a fixed annual fee of €6,000, normally payable by 31 March. Foreign affiliates must appoint an authorised representative with an address in Bulgaria, and must disclose every online channel they use to promote gambling.
The regime also restricts affiliates to promoting operators that hold a valid Bulgarian licence. The Bulgarian authority, the NRA, can order websites, apps, social media profiles and streaming platforms used by unlicensed affiliates to be blocked. Separate sanctions apply where an affiliate promotes an unlicensed operator or breaches existing advertising restrictions.
One detail matters a great deal. The regime applies to payment linked to gambling performance. Traditional advertising bought for a fixed fee sits outside it. That distinction could affect a wide range of marketing arrangements, and it is one that many affiliate businesses will want to review with their advisers.
The United States and the influencer layer
In the United States there is no comprehensive federal gambling advertising regime, but state rules are tightening quickly. A review of the 2026 state rules notes that several states have targeted influencer and social media promotion, campus advertising and AI-personalised offers. Colorado’s SB26-131, effective from 12 August 2026, bars sportsbooks and marketing affiliates from targeting advertising at people under 21. According to one summary of the law, penalties can reach $25,000 per violation.
The approach reflects a broader shift. Regulators have concluded that the affiliate and influencer layer is where consumer protection rules were being bypassed. Expect the strictest treatment in jurisdictions that already restrict broadcast gambling advertising.
Europe is following the same path
Portugal has also tightened its rules. Every advertisement for online gambling or sports betting must now include a responsible gambling message. A centralised self-exclusion portal went live on 8 April 2026, and a proposed near-ban on gambling advertising has been debated in parliament. In the Netherlands, a ban on untargeted online gambling advertising has been introduced, with rules strict enough that advertising remains legal on paper but is very hard to carry out in practice.
What affiliates should do now
The following points are our analysis, drawing on the rules described above rather than advice from any regulator.
- Map every market and platform where you advertise, and check the current certification or licensing requirements for each one.
- Review payment structures. Where your income depends on gambling performance, licensing regimes such as Bulgaria’s may apply to you directly.
- Make sure every outbound link leads to a licensed operator, and remove any promotion of unlicensed brands.
- Build responsible gambling messaging and clear commercial disclosure into your content as standard, rather than as an afterthought.
- Expect compliance to favour larger, better-resourced publishers. Smaller affiliates may need to specialise or partner to stay in the market.
The direction of travel
The rules are converging. Platforms are tightening certification, national regulators are licensing affiliates, and US states are targeting influencers. The affiliates that adapt early will keep their access to markets. Those that treat advertising rules as someone else’s responsibility are the most likely to be caught out.
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