On August 15, 2025, Google announced a significant update to its advertising policy: the tech giant will now accept and run advertisements for sports betting from certified, state-licensed entities in Missouri. This move, as reported by PPC Land and detailed in Google’s own Ads Gambling and games policy documentation, marks another step in Google’s gradual expansion of gambling-related advertising permissions across the United States. The timing is notable—this policy shift was both announced and implemented on the same day, allowing immediate eligibility for qualifying advertisers. For Missouri’s estimated 6.2 million residents, this means that sports betting ads from properly licensed operators can now appear across a wide array of Google Ads formats, provided all compliance boxes are ticked.
But what does it actually take to run a gambling ad on Google in Missouri? According to Google’s official announcement, “We will begin to accept and run ads for sports betting from certified, state-licensed entities in Missouri from August 15, 2025.” However, this is hardly a free-for-all. Advertisers must first navigate Google’s rigorous certification process, which requires them to demonstrate full compliance with Missouri’s state licensing requirements and the company’s own gambling advertising policies. The application for certification is open to any advertiser wishing to promote online gambling content in Missouri, but there’s a catch: “Advertisers must apply for certification,” the policy states, and “the domain must be one the business owns and controls directly. Websites hosted on free subdomains are not eligible.” This ensures that only legitimate, directly accountable businesses can participate.
The certification process doesn’t stop at paperwork. Advertisers must provide detailed information, including contact details, company names, Google Ads customer IDs, and the specific URLs they intend to promote. They must also select the precise gambling category—daily fantasy sports, sports betting, online casino, horse racing, or lottery courier services—during the application. Maintaining a valid state license is non-negotiable: “Advertisers must maintain any license, authorization, registration or similar required under this policy for as long as the advertiser remains certified by us and must notify us immediately if any of the above expire or is suspended or terminated,” Google’s documentation warns.
Google’s enforcement standards are strict, especially for gambling-related advertising. Serving gambling ads without valid certification can result in an account being prohibited from running ads until certification is obtained. “We take violations of this category very seriously and consider them egregious,” the policy notes. For social casino games, there is a zero-tolerance policy: “If we find violations of this Social casino games policy, we will suspend your Google Ads accounts upon detection and without prior warning, and you will not be allowed to advertise with us again.” Ongoing compliance is essential, and any material change in an advertiser’s operations, licensing, or business structure requires recertification. Failure to do so is a violation of Google’s Circumventing Systems policy.
When it comes to advertising formats, most Google Ads placements are available for sports betting promotions in Missouri, but there are notable exceptions. Gmail ads, Shopping ads, Reservation display ads, and Google TV masthead ads (outside the USA) are still off-limits for gambling content. However, in April 2025, Google announced that Google TV Masthead would begin accepting sports betting and daily fantasy sports ads in the United States—a significant shift in premium ad placement policy. This change opens up new, high-visibility opportunities for certified advertisers targeting American audiences.
Consumer protection is at the core of Google’s gambling advertising requirements. All ads and landing pages must “display information about responsible gambling” and “never target minors.” This isn’t just a box-ticking exercise; it’s a fundamental part of maintaining responsible advertising standards across all gambling-related content. Furthermore, the Missouri update applies exclusively to users within state boundaries, enforced by Google’s country-specific requirements system. This ensures that gambling ads only appear where they are legally permitted, sparing advertisers from inadvertently running afoul of local regulations.
Content restrictions are also in place. The policy covers “sports betting” specifically, and does not extend to other gambling categories such as online casino games or social casino applications. Advertisers targeting multiple gambling categories or states must submit separate certification applications for each jurisdiction and content type. As Google’s policy structure explains, advertisers wanting to target multiple states must “submit a separate application form for each country”—or, in this case, each state with distinct regulatory requirements.
Landing page and website ownership requirements are strict. Certified advertisers must maintain compliant landing pages that meet both Google’s advertising standards and Missouri’s regulatory requirements. “Gambling and online gambling-promoting content ads and destinations must also: only target approved countries, have a landing page that displays information about responsible gambling and never target minors,” according to the documentation. The domain must be directly owned and controlled by the business—no free subdomains allowed. Aggregator or affiliate sites that merely provide information or comparisons are also prohibited from promotion. Only direct gambling services are permitted to advertise.
This Missouri policy update is part of Google’s measured, state-by-state approach to gambling advertising in the US. Previous expansions included Florida in November 2023 and Delaware in January 2024. These changes reflect the growing legalization of sports betting across the country since the Supreme Court’s 2018 decision to strike down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act. Each state now determines its own framework for sports wagering authorization and advertising, resulting in a patchwork of local regulations that digital marketers must navigate. As PPC Land has observed, Google’s evolving policy “emphasizes maintaining regulatory compliance while accommodating market expansion.”
For marketing professionals, the expansion into Missouri presents both an opportunity and a challenge. The state’s population offers significant market potential, but the certification process and compliance requirements are not trivial. Each state expansion introduces new regulatory obligations, requiring careful attention to local licensing and ongoing policy maintenance. Certified advertisers must configure their Google Ads accounts to target Missouri users specifically, leveraging the platform’s geographic targeting systems to ensure compliance. Campaign setup requires accurate business model identification, and ongoing account monitoring is essential to maintain certification status. Any changes to licensing, business structure, or regulatory compliance must be reported to Google immediately to avoid policy violations.
Meanwhile, the global context for gambling advertising remains fraught with legal and regulatory challenges. In Brazil, for example, Meta—the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp—recently received a legal notice from the Attorney General’s Office over the proliferation of gambling ads on its platforms. The notice requires Meta to remove all unapproved gambling ads within 48 hours and prohibits endorsing unlicensed betting platforms in the future. Brazil’s Ministry of Finance’s Secretariat of Prizes and Bets is the authority responsible for granting permission to promote gambling, and unapproved ads have been linked to serious crimes such as tax evasion, money laundering, and fraud. This legal action follows a June 2025 Supreme Federal Court ruling that holds digital platforms liable for illegal ads unless they demonstrate diligent and timely removal efforts.
In Missouri and beyond, Google’s policy evolution underscores the delicate balance between market opportunity and regulatory responsibility. As more states legalize sports betting and digital advertising platforms respond with measured policy updates, the landscape will only grow more complex. For now, Missouri’s licensed sports betting operators—and the marketing professionals who serve them—have a new avenue to reach customers, provided they play by the rules.
