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Google Ads has emailed advertisers to warn that its Gambling & Games certification rules will be tightened up in the near future.
In an email seemingly sent to advertisers, shared by Google ads professional Adriaan Decker, Google Ads is planning stricter rules from March 23 for those running ads within the ‘Gambling & Games’ category.
“As of 23 March 2026, the Google Ads Gambling and games policy will introduce additional certification eligibility requirements,” the email states. “Applicants for gambling certifications must now demonstrate good policy health to advertise in any gambling and games category.”
Specifically, advertising certification will not be granted if the site is hosted on a free platform, if it uses a subdomain of a third-party platform, if the advertiser doesn’t own and operate the second-level domain, and/or if the site has no real association with gambling.
These new rules will be enforced by Google Ads, with a warning that there will be consequences for repeated violations: “Manager accounts (MCCs) and their managed accounts that face repeated gambling certificate revocations or violations will no longer be eligible for online gambling certificates, and current certifications may be revoked.”
Google Ads has warned advertisers that stricter Gambling & Games certification requirements will take effect from March 23, 2026. Credit: Adriaan Decker via LinkedIn
The bigger picture at Google Ads
In simple terms, the new changes in place from March 23 mean that one-off compliance won’t be enough for advertisers to run gambling promotions. Instead, the tech giant will be taking wider account history and domain ownership into account when it comes to gambling ad eligibility and certification.
This comes after Google Ads updated its policy back in November, taking aim then at the promotion of offline gambling is prohibited in locations where it is illegal to advertise offline gambling. Before that, Google also changed how it classified sweepstakes casino games, which are no longer considered social games. However, earlier this month, the tech giant shared that starting January 21, 2026, some prediction markets will be allowed to advertise in the US.
Featured image: Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY 2.0
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The head of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, Harmeet Dhillon, has reposted a prediction market wager on a possible DOJ prosecution.
Dhillon reposted an X post from prediction market Polymarket promoting 36% odds on journalist Don Lemon being prosecuted by the DOJ, writing: “Three now arrested.” This comes after a federal judge found no probable cause of Lemon committing a crime, following the Trump administration indicting three demonstrators at a Minnesota protest that the journalist was covering.

The head of Trump DOJ’s Civil Rights Division boosts prediction markets placing 36% odds she’ll be able to prosecute Don Lemon for his journalism, after a federal magistrate judge found no probable cause of a crime. pic.twitter.com/qxjMvrL1NE
— Adam Klasfeld (@KlasfeldReports) January 22, 2026

The seemingly now-deleted post from Dhillon was shared again via screenshot by All Rise News editor Alan Klasfeld, who wrote: “The head of Trump DOJ’s Civil Rights Division boosts prediction markets placing 36% odds she’ll be able to prosecute Don Lemon for his journalism, after a federal magistrate judge found no probable cause of a crime.”
Prediction market insider trading fears flare again, this time in the DOJ
Dhillon’s post has sparked renewed concern that those in positions of power could influence prediction market odds, just a few weeks on from insider trading fears arising on Polymarket following the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. An anonymous user made over $400,000 on a bet that Maduro would be replaced on the very same day that the Trump administration moved against him.
This led to 30 Congress members supporting a bill to prevent insider trading on prediction markets like Polymarket. With wagers available not just on political events but also business and cultural ones, there is currently room for people to affect the very bets that they’re also allowed to place. Kalshi’s own CEO, Tarek Mansour, also shared support for the bill which would ban government officials from using the platforms.
The concern is that those who should be making impartial decisions based on American laws of justice could be motivated for other reasons if they stand to gain financially from the outcomes.
Featured image: Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
The post Head of DOJ’s Civil Rights Division reposts betting market wager on department action appeared first on ReadWrite.