YouTube is tightening its policies on gambling content. The platform has announced that it will soon prohibit creators from verbally referring to gambling services not approved by Google, as well as displaying their logos and linking to them in videos. The new rules, which go into effect on March 19th, may also put age restrictions […]
YouTube is tightening its policies on gambling content. The platform has announced that it will soon prohibit creators from verbally referring to gambling services not approved by Google, as well as displaying their logos and linking to them in videos.
The new rules, which go into effect on March 19th, may also put age restrictions on videos about online gambling. That means viewers under 18, or anyone not signed into YouTube, won’t be able to watch these videos. YouTube says this rule excludes videos showing online sports betting and people gambling in person.
YouTube also notes that it may remove content “promising guaranteed returns,” whether or not the gambling service in question has been approved by Google. “We know this update may impact creators who focus on online gambling content like casino games and applications, but we believe these changes are a necessary step in protecting our community, especially younger viewers,” YouTube says in the announcement.
The company previously banned gambling ads for its masthead ad slot in 2021, while Twitch began restricting streams that show gambling sites with slots, roulette, or dice games in 2022. Last month, Google also announced that it will start testing a machine learning model to estimate a user’s age, allowing its platforms, including YouTube, to provide “age-appropriate experiences.”