Google reclassifies sweepstakes casinos as gambling in major policy shift

• Google updates its Gambling and Games Advertising Policy to classify sweepstakes casinos as online gambling.
• Sweepstakes casinos must now meet online gambling certification and licensing requirements to advertise via Google.
• The change aligns Google’s advertising rules with increasing state regulatory and legal pressures on sweepstakes casinos.

Google has reclassified sweepstakes casinos as a form of online gambling in a significant update to its Gambling and Games Advertising Policy on October 28, 2025.

This change removes the previous exception that allowed sweepstakes casinos to advertise under social casino certifications, which were meant for games resembling gambling but without real-money prizes.

Google’s policy update

The new policy explicitly states that sweepstakes casinos are not social casino games, placing them under the online gambling category that includes games offering virtual currencies or items with real-world value.

Sweepstakes operators must now obtain gambling licences for each jurisdiction to advertise on Google platforms. The policy forbids advertising of sweepstakes casinos under the social casino games certification and requires disclaimers that games do not offer real-world prizes, effectively excluding sweepstakes casinos because their dual-currency systems enable players to redeem prizes for cash.

Sweepstakes operators face immediate challenges since most lack traditional gambling licences required for Google’s new certification process. This reclassification affects many suppliers and content providers currently promoting sweepstakes via ads.

Legal context and regulation

Sweepstakes casinos use a dual-currency model: Gold Coins for play without monetary value and Sweeps Coins which can be redeemed for cash, although not directly purchased.

The legal status of this model has been scrutinised heavily, with several US states including California, Connecticut, and New Jersey banning such platforms in 2025.

Enforcement and legal actions have increased, with states issuing cease-and-desist letters and filing lawsuits against operators.

The Social and Promotional Games Association (SPGA) defends the legality of sweepstakes casinos based on historic federal sweepstakes law, yet several state regulators and tribes argue these operations circumvent gambling laws.

Impact on advertising

Google’s decision removes sweepstakes casinos from the lighter “social casino” advertising category, reducing ad visibility on major Google platforms like Search and YouTube unless operators obtain the necessary gambling certifications.

The new policy aligns private-sector digital advertising with increasing public and legal pressure on sweepstakes casinos worldwide. It signals tighter regulatory oversight and could push other digital advertisers to adopt similar standards, thereby shaping how operators market sweepstakes games going forward.

Google’s reclassification therefore marks an important development both for the online gambling sector and advertising compliance, placing greater responsibility on both operators and suppliers to secure proper licensing and comply with evolving legal frameworks.

Image credits: Photo by Pawel Czerwinski on Unsplash