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Meta inflicts stricter gambling advertising rules
Meta enforces a stricter ad approval process for gambling operators and affiliates, now requiring verified licenses and detailed documentation.
Taking effect immediately, now any gambling promotion through Facebook or Instagram must go through Meta’s “Permissions and Verifications” section in Business Suite. Advertisers must get formal approval. Submissions must include valid gambling licenses and legal compliance in the countries where ads will appear.
Once accepted, approvals will be limited to specified ad accounts, with extensions to additional business profiles having to go through an internal Meta process.
The policy includes all gambling categories (sports betting, online casinos, lotteries, poker, and prize-based games). The exceptions are social casinos and free-play games that don’t offer monetary value.
Advertisers are required:
- To declare their operational role (operator, aggregator, affiliate, or agent).
- Identify the type of gambling activity being advertised.
- Submit documents that include valid licenses issued by a regulatory body, the company’s legal name, screenshots of websites or apps, and a complete list of ad accounts to be activated.
All documents must be submitted in English, with the gambling content visible on the associated site or app. Meta’s internal team will manually review the submissions. Response time may vary, and additional documents may be requested after initial approval.
The policy has specific requirements for influencer and content creator collaborations. If the gambling operator publishes an ad and only tags or mentions the creator, no separate authorization is needed. However, if the creator directly publishes the ad, they must register as an affiliate, get approved by Meta, and submit a signed agreement confirming the relationship.
The regulations include a complete ban on targeting individuals under 18. This applies to all categories, including sports betting, online casinos, poker, and prize-based games, as well as social casinos or free-play content.
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