Gambling Advertising on Social Media Surges, Platforms Tighten Restrictions

17 September 2026

Despite Tighter Restrictions from Platforms, Gambling Ads on Social Media Continue to Rise.

A major 2024 study tracked 1,663 gambling ads in a single week, averaging 237 per day, across Facebook, Instagram, X, and TikTok. A 2022 survey found 72.4% of 18-24 year-olds saw a gambling ad on social media at least weekly. With regulators and social platforms rushing to tackle the spread of gambling ads, the industry continues its aggressive push.

The Betting and Gaming Council recently warned that illegal gambling operators are using major online channels through unlicensed gambling sites promoting themselves via technology platforms not regulated by the UK Gambling Commission, meaning they don't follow British gambling rules, don't carry out customer protection checks, and dodge UK taxes. These sites also specifically target people who have signed up to UK-only GamStop, an opt-in service to block gambling access after voluntarily excluding themselves from betting.

Platforms are beginning to take more action to restrict gambling companies. X recently updated its Paid Partnerships Policy to formally place gambling alongside other restricted sectors, like alcohol, tobacco, and financial products, under its "Prohibited Industries" list. The policy now forbids gambling products and services from being promoted by paid content arrangements.

Similarly, Google is expanding its gambling and games advertiser compliance requirements worldwide. On September 18, 2024, a separate restriction for Croatia will forbid online gambling promotional content targeting the Croatian population via Google Ads.

The reason for the new restrictions and regulatory pressure is the rising visibility and targeting of vulnerable customers. A recent NORC study found about 1 in 3 respondents exposed to gambling content on social media over a week, with users more than twice as likely to see such content on TikTok as on Instagram or Facebook.

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Experts warn online gambling may not be as profitable or safe as companies advertise, including pushing consumers to sign up with unlicensed companies to avoid regulation. UK-based Betting and Gaming Council CEO Michael Dugher warned platforms and lawmakers to remain wary of these tactics in an August statement.

"Because these sites are unlicensed, they don't have the same levels of customer protection as UK-licensed sites. Customers are more at risk of being cheated and defrauded and losing money that they never expected to," he concluded.

Research shows independent analysis suggests much of this publicity is avoidable and unwanted. The Norwich-led study asked what percentage of respondents said they were influenced to gamble by ads they'd seen, and most said it didn't influence them at all, with only 15% reporting seeing "prompting to spend."

The latest findings on gambling advertising's prevalence contrast starkly with the effectiveness of the marketing. The only constants appear to be the growing volume of advertising and vulnerable consumers' exposure despite restrictions.

As the industry advertises through increasingly aggressive means, including AI-generated personas to target audiences, the business's broader impacts become less clear. While regulatory and public pressure on social platforms grows, the gambling companies' profits may continue to incentivize pushing more ads.