As the betting season related to the National Football League (NFL) gets underway, Google has implemented stricter recertification guidelines and certification for gambling and gaming.

Companies will need to recertify their services beginning November 2024. If a change to services and offerings occurred since the original certification application was submitted, advertisers must recertify or stop relying on the certification.

Google calls the policy Gambling and games certification.

This policy update represents a significant shift in Google’s approach to gambling advertisements.

It highlights that significant changes to an advertiser’s product offerings, regulatory compliance, or licensing must be reported and could trigger the need for recertification. Failure to do so will be considered a serious violation, leading to immediate suspension of the company’s Google Ads account.

Gambling.com Group, which relies heavily on Google, has established itself as the Hotels.com of betting, according to the company. It relies on people coming to Google and searching for things like “the best sportsbooks in Pennsylvania” or “what casino has the highest payout” for a specific NFL game.

It has built a leading online gambling affiliate network on the back of search, with a portfolio of more than 50 media sites offering news, information, and instant connections to online casinos and promotions that best match individual betting interests and gambling experiences.

It’s not clear whether Gambling.com, which has taken a sort of affiliate role, has been affected by these new rules.

The company drives new player acquisition to online casinos and sportsbooks. The biggest operators from DraftKings to FanDuel and more use Gambling.com ahead of the start of football season supported by its performance media and marketing engine. 

Google’s change extends to services by offering gambling aggregation, such as websites that link to multiple operators on their landing pages for MGM, Caeser’s, and Wynn in states that Gambling.com supports them.

Through its online services, Gambling.com has used search to grow revenue by 18% to $30.5 million in Q2 2024. The company boasts more than 108,000 new depositing customers, up 19% vs. Q2 2023.

Most states have legalized gambling. Search terms in July and August related to betting rise exponentially. Most new sports betters start as the NFL season kicks off. As of August 2024, nearly 40 states have legal sports betting online.

Google has implemented stricter recertification guidelines and certification for gambling and gaming as the betting season for the NFL gets underway.