Google Amends Ad Policy, Reclassifying Sweeps Casinos as Gambling

The whole online gambling ecosystem just radically shifted overnight as Google made a major policy update. Beginning 28 October, the biggest digital gatekeeper has amended its policies under its Gambling and Games advertising rules to draw a sharp new line: sweepstakes casinos will no longer be categorized as “social casino games.”

The tweak heard round the world was a simple one line change to Google’s social casino games section, but it was a bright red line “Examples of games that are not social casino games: Sweepstakes Casinos.” We don’t suppose it gets much clearer than that.

Google's decision to reclassify sweepstakes platforms—moving them from the "just for fun" social casino category to its tightly regulated online gambling rules—may not sound like a big deal. However, it's a massive shift. Eilers and Krejcik pegs online sweeps purchases at more than $10.6 billion in 2024, with about $3.4 billion of that being net revenue.

Up until now, many major sweeps operators operating under the dual currency model promoted themselves under a bright, fun, and “no purchase necessary” vibe, even though they used gold coins to ensure that players could in fact redeem for something of value. The new rules mean much tighter regulatory compliance and a heavier burden to show legality.

Google Ads was a huge driver for user acquisition. Without it, it remains to be seen what avenues these companies will choose to drive new player growth. This move didn’t happen in isolation, as 2025 brought progressively tighter regulatory scrutiny not only from state gaming control boards but also from attorneys general, licensed casino interests, and even tribal gaming operators.

All of these parties had the same concern, which they clearly brought home to Google, which was that these sweepstakes casinos operate in gray zones, avoid licensing, often have less than robust responsible gaming tools and warnings, and perhaps most importantly pay no taxes. 

It only made sense that Google would update its rules to more accurately reflect both public and regulatory sentiment. But this shift will have a far reaching impact not only on sweeps operators but also on their suppliers and other advertisers as well. 

The operators themselves will need to quickly pivot to affiliate marketing, influencer style campaigns, or even organic search as Google ads begin to block paid acquisition that they have historically heavily relied on, but they will also need to rethink branding as well.

It remains to be seen how the new rule will impact affiliate sites or even comparison and review sites. It may mean that Google will enforce rules about even the promotion of content that “directly” promotes engagement in these types of newly banned products.

An April update to the Gambling Games and Rules had already had the sweeps world on edge, as it had mentioned virtual currencies, but that rule had not been widely enforced. The new rule would appear to be a clarification with little ambiguity and meant to be carried out, though it’ still early days. 

In any case, the new ad policy will mean everyone from pop star influencers to live dealer gaming studios that partner with sweeps to provide streams will need to recalibrate their risk model and decide next steps. Licensed operators in the seven states that allow iGaming and the more than 30 that allow online sports betting may actually breathe a little easier. 

But one thing is certain: when Google disavows an entire ecosystem worth more than $10 billion in sales last year, the whole world takes note, and the fallout will continue for a long while. Just how fastidious they intend to be with their new rule and how they will apply it to affiliates and other sites still remains to be seen as well, but the question for now is, can Sweeps survive?