Google Blocks 270.7M Illegal Gambling/Gaming Ads in 2025

Google has gone a step further in addressing the proliferation of “policy-violating” gambling ads, often associated with unregulated gambling websites that have been purposefully targeting consumers despite having no legal right to do so. 

Google Intensifies Efforts to Crack Down on Misleading, Fraudulent Gambling Ads

The company is said to have blocked or removed as many as 270.7 million such gambling and gaming ads throughout 2025. 

Google said that Gemini-powered tools have helped the company turn a new page in its crusade against unregulated ads, touting its internal capabilities allowing it to crack down on what the company described as “even the most innovative schemes.” 

Google went after 9.7 million web pages that were offering paid online gambling in breach of existing policies, noting that gambling was one of the larger offenders as a category.  

Among the core offenses were pages that promoted unlicensed operators or ran misleading offers, or specifically sought to target restricted audiences – for example, websites that tried to compel vulnerable and problem gamblers who have self-excluded to continue gambling at offshore platforms instead. 

Google Maintains Zero Tolerance Policy Against Offenders 

Google has been consistently tweaking its ad policies, paying ever closer attention to gambling ads and updating its rules for running such content. 

At the beginning of the year, Google announced sweeping changes to its ad policies intended to usher in stricter overall rules for how such promotions are displayed, and what websites and publishers qualify in the first place.