Casino and gambling advertising laws

1) Why gambling advertising is regulated separately

Gambling is a product with increased risks: addiction, financial losses, involvement of minors. Therefore, laws almost everywhere introduce strict requirements for the content, placement and targeting of ads, as well as for the transparency of bonuses and notifications about the "responsible game."

2) Basic principles that are found in most countries

1. Inadmissibility of appeal to minors: neither in content (visuals, heroes, slang), nor in coverage (audiences with a large share <18/21).

2. Truthfulness and balance: you cannot promise "guaranteed winnings," "risk-free," hide the likelihood of losing or the real conditions of bonuses.

3. Responsible communication: mandatory warnings/logos, links to help, limits, mark "18 +."

4. The absence of "inducements to excessive excitement": the prohibition to encourage playing "to solve financial problems," "catch up with losing," etc.

5. License binding and geo: only an operator with a valid license and only in permitted jurisdictions can be advertised.

3) Content prohibitions and mandatory elements

Prohibited/Restricted:

Images of schoolchildren/students, children's characters, influencers with a "young" audience.
Messages linking the game to success, status, sexual attractiveness.
The wording "easy money," "no loss," "everyone will win."
Statements about "scientific strategies," "algorithms" and other "signaling."

Often mandatory:

Age sign (18 +/21 + according to local rules).
"Play responsibly" + link/helpline.
Bonus clarifications: minimum deposit, vager, deadlines, win limit, exceptions.
Specify license/regulator (number/register) - where prescribed.

4) Bonuses, "freespins" and inductees

Welcome bonuses, cashback, freebies: conditions should be visible on the first screen or in one click - bet from/to, vager (x), contribution of games/markets, dates, max-win, regions.

Ban on "risk-free": if the refund is not cash (but bonus with a vager), it is not "risk-free."

Difficult conditions cannot be masked: asterisks and "small print" without accessible disclosure are a reason for a fine.

Personally vulnerable groups: you cannot target with promises to "fight back," "repay debts," "make money on a mortgage."

5) Digital advertising: targeting, platforms, AdTech

Age-gating and audiences: turn off venues/placements where the proportion of minors can be high; Use verified 18 +/21 + segments.

GEO filters: impressions only in permitted regions; IP/VPN traffic unit, ASN/attendant control.

Look-alike/ML segments: Check that the model does not expand coverage to "suspicious" audiences (schools/universities/children's content).

Remarketing: careful; do not pursue users with aggressive frequencies, respect "self-exclusion."

Cookies and privacy: consent banners, legal grounds for processing, DPIA for profiling, data minimization.

6) Influencers and Affiliates

Advertising labeling ("advertising," "partnership"). Hidden integration is a common cause of sanctions.

Channel audience: at least X% of adults (threshold varies). The provider must have analytics/screenshots of the offices.

Scripts and messages: brief with prohibitions (no "easy money," no "no risk," no "personal debts," etc.).

Tracking and control: UTM tags, whitelists/blocklists of creatives, pre-approval. The operator/brand is responsible for the affiliate.

Live streams/demo game: "warmed up" balance, hidden sponsorship amounts, game with "unrealistic" chances are unacceptable.

7) Sponsorship and merch

Sports and events: team uniforms, banners, stadium names - often limited in time and formats (for example, without logos on children's uniforms).

Out-of-home: billboards and transport - "watersheds" by time/zones (schools, children's institutions).

Cross-branding: in collaborations, exclude children's symbols, toys, sweets, family events.

8) TV/radio and watershed

Watershed: banning/limiting impressions until a certain time (often 21: 00/22: 00).

Frequency limit: limit of clips per block/hour.

Responsible messages: audio displays and visible captions.

9) Cross border and licenses

Only brands that are eligible to operate in the target country/state can be advertised.

"Gray areas" (offshore sites/mirrors) = high risk: domain blocks, fines, advertising bans.

License ≠ universal pass: the same network may have different rights by country/channel.

10) Web3/crypto nuances

VASP/AML contours: you cannot promise "anonymity "/" without KYC"; mandatory clauses on blocking risks and network commissions.

Onchain Prizes and Tokens: Disclose Volatility, Date Rate, Withdrawal Limits, Secondary Market.

NFT/loot boxes: if there is a paid chance of a "valuable" prize - this is actually a gambling product, advertising is subject to the same rules.

11) Control, sanctions and liability

Supervision tools: "mystery shopping," screenshots of the tape, parsing of creatives, complaints from citizens, monitoring of affiliates and telegram channels.

Sanctions: fines, withdrawal of campaign revenue, advertising ban, license revocation, domain/application blocks, platform blacklists.

Collective responsibility: brand, media agency, publisher, influencer and affiliate - all can be attracted.

12) "to sleep well" workflows

Before starting:

Legal review of creatives → checklist of mandatory elements (18 +/responsible game/license/bonus conditions).
Verification of brand/license rights in the target geo; coordination of influencer scripts.
Tech settings: geo, age, frequencies, blocklists; audit of AdTech provider segments.
DPIA/privacy risk assessment, especially in profiling and remarketing.

During the campaign:

Monitoring coverage of minors, frequency, CTR creatives "with promises."
Quick recall/correction of materials on compliance signal.

After:

Archive: creatives, target settings, reports, screenshots; storage up to N years.
Analysis of incidents and updating guides.

13) Checklists

Content

[The] no promise of "easy money "/" no risk. "

The terms of the bonus are clear in 1-2 clicks (deposit, vager, terms, max-win, exceptions).
There's 18 +/responsible play/help link.
There are no children's characters/young slang/images of success due to the game.
License/regulator specified (if required).

Targeting

Geo - only allowed countries/regions.
Age-gating/18 +/21 + segments.
Frequency limitation and remarketing.
Blocklists of platforms with a children's audience.
Respect for self-exclusion/opt-out.

Influencers/Affiliates

Advertising/partnership label.
Proof of audience age structure.
Script with prohibitions; pre-approval creatives.
Click/UTM reporting, whitelists.
Ban on "unrealistic demo balances."

14) Typical marketing errors

"Risk-free bet" with rebate bonus (not money).

Small print with critical conditions and no short disclosure.

Absence of 18 +/responsible play in static banners.

Purchase of cheap traffic at sites with a teenage audience.

Data transfer for targeting without legal basis and consent.

15) Mini-FAQ

Do I need to show the license number in each banner?

Depends on the country. Minimum - on landing page; often required in creativity.

Can the terms "best odds "/" highest odds "be used?

Only if the tested procedure and up-to-date data are available; otherwise, a misleading statement.

Retargeting players in self-exclusion?

No, it isn't. This is a serious violation - synchronize lists with CRM/RegTech.

Are "memes" and irony acceptable?

Yes, if they do not hurt vulnerable groups, do not romanticize the game and go through the age filter.

16) The bottom line

Casino and betting advertising is a jewelry balance between growth and responsibility. A secure strategy is based on three things:

1. transparent content (honest terms of bonuses, "responsible play," age signs), 2. hard targeting settings (age/geo/frequency/exceptions), 3. partner control (influencers, affiliates, publishers).

Make compliance part of the creative process and media planning - and you will reduce the risk of fines, maintain the trust of the audience and build a sustainable brand over a long distance.