Google Tightens Ad Policies: Sweepstakes Casinos Now Classified as Online Gambling

Google has quietly updated its global advertising policy, moving to classify sweepstakes-style casino platforms as online gambling rather than “social casino” games. According to its October 28 2025 amendment to the Gambling and Games Advertising Policy, the newly added line reads: “Examples of games that are not social casino games: Sweepstakes casinos.”

Historically, sweepstakes casinos operated in a regulatory grey zone. They offered two types of in-game currency: one for entertainment (“Gold Coins”) and another redeemable for real-world cash prizes (“Sweeps Coins”). By presenting the model as “free-to-play plus bonus rewards”, many operators argued they were exempt from gambling laws. However, Google’s updated definition explicitly distinguishes them from purely social-play games. 

Under Google’s policy, “social casino games” must not offer real-world prizes:

“Online simulated gambling games … where there is no opportunity to win real money or prizes.”
By contrast, Google’s “online gambling” category includes games or apps offering virtual currencies or items that can be redeemed for real-world value. With the new wording, sweepstakes casinos will need to comply with the stricter licensing, age-verification and responsible gambling disclosure requirements applied to real-money gambling advertisers if they wish to run ads via Google. 

For marketers and operators, this change is significant. Sweepstakes operators that previously leveraged the “social casino” ad certification pathway will now find themselves ineligible unless they secure gambling-licensing compliance. The move could severely restrict paid-search and YouTube ad visibility for these platforms in many markets. 

The timing aligns with broader regulatory pressure in the U.S. Several states (including California, Delaware, Louisiana and West Virginia) have recently enacted bans or taken enforcement action against dual-currency sweepstakes casinos. Google’s policy shift appears to mirror this regulatory tightening and addresses concerns about consumer-protection gaps in the sector.