Meta Tightens Gambling Ad Rules with Stronger Licensing & Age Controls

Key Takeaways

• Meta is tightening its policies regarding gambling ads on Facebook and Instagram
• Advertisers must now identify their role in advertising and provide more advanced paperwork, including gambling licenses 
• Canada may introduce a national framework to unify sports betting advertising standards across provinces, while U.S. states also enforce restrictions

Advertisers will also have to submit more advanced paperwork, which will incorporate current gambling licenses and certification of compliance of law in all regions where commercials are being shown. Approval is granted only for specific ad accounts, and any new business profiles must undergo a separate internal review. 

The rules apply to all major gambling categories, such as iGaming, sports betting, poker, and more. Only social casinos that offer free-play games with no monetary value are exempt from the new policy.

Advertisers must also explicitly state their ad role and submit proof, including their company names, screenshots of their sites, and ad account rosters. All papers must be in English, and all cases must be hand-reviewed by Meta. Advertisers' paperwork will also be requested more after clearance. The revised policy also includes specific regulations on influencer advertising.

When a gambling operator refers to or mentions a creator in an ad they share, no immediate authorization is required. But if a creator promotes their gambling ad straight, then the individual or entity will have to become an affiliate, get Meta's approval, and have a signed contract.

Meta has also reaffirmed its ban on targeting anyone under 18. This includes all gambling advertising and social casinos and is part of a broader international campaign to improve responsibility and transparency in gambling advertising.

Ad efforts reshaped by legislative initiatives

Various regions are carrying out initiatives to regulate gambling ad reach and influence. There's a combination of provincial regulations within Canada, but an effort toward federal unification of standards is underway. This could have a radical impact on standards of operation for advertising by sports wagering entities throughout the country.

Such a mechanism would concentrate responsibility, keep responsible gambling standards intact, and possibly eradicate the province-to-province confusion that afflicts users nowadays. All this would impact internet gambling enterprises organizing their ad campaigns, specifically on national television and online media.

At the same time, New Jersey and New York are promoting more rigorous bills than usual restrictions. New York legislators are advocating a bill to force sportsbooks to prominently display responsible gaming resources on their websites and mobile phone applications.

These initiatives include cooling-off periods, exclusion lists, and access to the latest betting history. Automatic reminders will also be issued where players have transgressed deposit or loss limits, after which they will be referred to assistance services.

A law prohibiting campus sporting advertising wagering at colleges and universities just passed in New Jersey. It's a historic regulatory action for authorities worried about safeguarding young adults against high-tech gambling advertising.