How to Comply with Gambling Marketing Laws in 2025

Posts sharing personal experiences, winnings, or strategies can create a bandwagon effect, encouraging others to engage in gambling behaviors. This organic dissemination of content impacts user decisions, further entrenching gambling within social interactions. Social media not only facilitates communication among gamblers but also serves as a powerful marketing tool within the gambling sector.

To figure out how sports gambling presence through social media has impacted our society we would have to identify which social media sites have aided these impacts, and the impacts effects on the public. The remainder of this paper will 1) cover the background of sports gambling, 2) explain why twitter or “X” is popular among both gambling sites and communities, 3) the negative impacts that gambling addiction will have on society. As the gambling landscape evolves, it is imperative to address the psychological and demographic shifts influenced by social media.

The Boom of Social Media Gambling Ads

Whilst this is welcomed news for the gambling advertising sphere in the UK, we are not aware of any similar provisions in other countries, leaving gambling content marketing to operate elsewhere. Social media platforms enforce strict rules around gambling promotions, often requiring age-gating, license verification, and country-specific compliance. Online gambling advertising laws restrict ads from targeting underage users or unregulated markets.

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Our team of dedicated online gambling marketers assumes full responsibility for the success of your marketing campaigns. From strategic planning to tactical execution, we’re committed to maximizing the efficiency and effectiveness of your marketing budget. With a wealth of experience and expertise in the online gambling industry, we craft tailored strategies and experiences that resonate with your target audience, driving engagement, retention, and ultimately, revenue. As technology continues to advance, the potential for further innovations in responsible gaming remains vast. Ongoing collaboration between gambling operators, social media platforms, and regulators will be essential to ensure these initiatives effectively promote safer gambling practices.

No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms. DLev, DLe, and J-YL contributed to the method and the drafting, and reviewed the article. The original contributions presented in the study are included in the article/supplementary materials, further inquiries can be directed to the corresponding author/s.

• This could be posting competitions, memes, funny pictures of cats, how-to content, or fascinating infographics — anything goes as long as it makes the user feel good and gets them to share the ad 37.
• Facebook’s vast audience and precise ad targeting tools make it a top choice for regulated gambling ads, but the approval process is strict and time-consuming.
• As these technologies continue to evolve, regulators must adapt to ensure player safety and compliance while navigating the complexities of a rapidly changing gambling landscape.
• Posts sharing personal experiences, winnings, or strategies can create a bandwagon effect, encouraging others to engage in gambling behaviors.

The majority of selected articles (12) concerned gambling marketing in relation to sports. A second problem derives from the close relationship between sports and gambling. Many social media ads are time sensitive, relating to a game currently played, or a special offer with limited time validity.

From casino review sites to sports betting blogs and gaming influencers, affiliates bring in massive traffic by connecting players to casinos, sportsbooks, and poker platforms. Work Only with Influencers Who Have Adult-Dominated AudiencesPartnering with influencers can expand reach, but in iGaming, compliance is critical. This not only keeps campaigns compliant with regulations but also protects brand reputation. That’s why businesses outsource tasks to gambling and sportsbook marketing experts like Fortis Media. A social media and e-commerce hybrid, Xiaohongshu attracts younger, affluent Chinese users seeking lifestyle content.

The literature is currently sparse regarding digital gambling marketing, despite its huge development in recent years. The main available data concerns the development of digital marketing and sports betting, and their vulnerable targets, especially young people. We have shown in this review that sport is a major target for marketing, and operators have developed gendered marketing strategies to reach and influence gamblers’ behaviors. The multiplicity of forms that online gambling marketing and advertising adopt accentuates the need for research on content and exposure on digital platforms.

WhatsApp is the dominant communication platform in Latin America, and it plays a huge role in player acquisition and retention. Operators can engage with players through private groups and direct messaging, but WhatsApp’s lack of formal advertising options makes scaling campaigns difficult. Regulatory scrutiny over bulk messaging is increasing, particularly in Brazil and Argentina.

Customize advertising campaigns to reflect local culture, language, and traditions, ensuring they resonate well with the audience. The target audience also are able to relate to the ad campaign, owing to the regional personalisation of the ads. With mainstream platforms imposing strict Online Gambling Advertising Laws, iGaming brands are increasingly turning to alternative community-driven channels. Two of the most effective are Discord and Telegram, both offering unique opportunities to connect with players directly. As a gambling business, you want marketing partners that are fully licensed and credentialed.

Without any pointers (such as an advertising label, or T&Cs, or gamble responsibly), it is nearly impossible to immediately understand the commercial nature of the ad or the potential harms 46. To process advertising in a mature manner, individuals need the ability to recognise the persuasive intent of advertising and apply this knowledge cognitively 36. This means that individuals need to understand that marketing messages want to sell something, in order to put up protective heuristics 47. Without recognising the ads, however, they are nearly defenceless against the persuasive attempt.

A survey of Australian gamblers found 40% had seen gambling marketing on Facebook (28). Beyond the evaluation of influence and content analysis, there is no data on the exposure to digital gambling marketing stimuli, in terms of modalities, frequency, time, or potential influence. Secondly in the case of digital alcohol marketing, participatory forms generated by users but driven by the industry’s marketing have been described (101). These strategies mobilize intermediaries (influencers) who disseminate messages in favor of the industries within the framework of remunerated partnerships. In addition, industries also encourage Internet users themselves to interact with the official pages of their brands (follow, like, comment, identify a friend, share, re-tweet, etc.) via the humorous content of quizzes and riddles, or contests. There is little data on the influence of these strategies in the context of gambling.

The challenges aren’t just about cutting through the noise — they’re about working within strict advertising policies, avoiding platform penalties, and staying compliant with a complex web of international regulations. This article explores real-world, effective strategies for gambling marketers that help build high-performing, ethical campaigns on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Although complex from a legal standpoint, social roobet media advertising plays an increasingly essential role in regulated online gambling operators acquiring, converting and retaining players amid burgeoning market competition. But only with the correct organizational safeguards and strategic technology foundations in place to guarantee lawful alignment avoiding easily prevented negligence.

This ensures ads are not culturally insensitive and avoid potential backlash from the audiences. Gambling advertising laws directly affect keyword targeting, ad copy, and geotargeting in PPC campaigns. Platforms like Google and Bing only allow licensed operators in approved markets, making compliance mandatory. Non-compliance can lead to rejected ads, wasted budgets, or permanent bans, so aligning campaigns with regulations is essential for sustainable performance. In the iGaming space, fraud doesn’t just come from shady players; it can come from affiliates, fake traffic sources, or even manipulated ad campaigns.

When the initial text of the bill was publicly released, iGB noted that the language around bans on free bets and other inducements was sufficiently broad to potentially restrict any use of promotions as an incentive to gamble in Ireland. This project is aimed to bring awareness to a quietly growing problem in our society. Sports gambling online will be explained, how its presence online has risen to this level of popularity, and why it is negatively impacting the public in areas such as health and finances. For free and paid-for advice on making your ads compliant with the Codes you can contact CAP’s Copy Advice team (opens in new tab). We also have years of experience managing large budgets so you can rest assured knowing that every penny spent on marketing will be put towards achieving maximum results at minimal cost. Whether it’s paid search ads or email campaigns – our experts know exactly which channels will bring the best ROI while staying within budget constraints.