Google Stops 270.7 Million Gambling Ads in 2025

(AsiaGameHub) –   Google took down large quantities of gambling ads in 2025, and regulatory pressure continues to mount. New data from the tech giant indicates that betting and gaming remained among the top problematic categories for online advertisements.

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Good to Know

• In 2025, Google either blocked or removed 270.7 million ads related to gambling and gaming.
• Over 99% of policy-violating ads were halted before being served to users, with a total of more than 8.3 billion ads blocked or removed across all categories.
• In 2026, both Brazil and Europe increased pressure—Brazil over concerns about unauthorized betting apps, and Europe via stricter certification rules for gambling ads.

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Google Reduces Gambling Ads Amid Growing Regulatory Pressure

Gambling and gaming were among the most frequently blocked ad categories in Google’s latest Ads Safety Report. The company reported blocking or removing 270.7 million ads in this segment in 2025, while an additional 123.9 million were restricted. Google also noted that Gemini-powered systems helped stop over 99% of violating ads before they were displayed.

Keerat Sharma, vice president and general manager of ads privacy and safety at Google, said:

“Our teams have long used advanced AI to identify and stop scammers, and Gemini takes that work even further. Our models analyse hundreds of billions of signals — including account age, behavioural cues and campaign patterns — to stop threats before they reach people.

“Unlike earlier keyword-based systems, our latest models better understand intent, helping us spot malicious content and preemptively block it, even when it’s designed to evade detection.”

Google’s broader enforcement efforts were extensive in 2025. The company suspended 24.9 million advertiser accounts, including 4 million linked to scams, and removed 602 million scam-related ads. Enforcement actions also targeted publisher content, with measures applied to more than 480 million web pages.

Beyond Google’s own platforms, regulators are ramping up pressure on distribution channels. In Brazil, the Ministry of Justice and Public Security stated that Google Play and the App Store contained over 120 betting apps without federal authorization and proper age-access controls.

Google has already tightened its gambling ad rules in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Starting March 23, 2026, accounts seeking gambling and games certification must demonstrate good policy compliance, and repeated violations can lead to certification revocation across managed accounts.