Gambling Advertising Rules by Country

Gambling adverts are everywhere: on television, on social media, on sports pages and in your inbox. Rules about what they may say and who may see them differ a great deal from one country to the next. This guide covers the UK, the USA, Ireland, Canada and Australia, and it is educational only.

Advertising rules matter because marketing shapes how people think about gambling, and the people most affected are often young or vulnerable. Knowing what is allowed helps you spot adverts that cross the line, and helps you decide how much marketing you want to receive.

What advertising rules try to do

Most regulators aim for the same few outcomes, even though the details differ:

• Protect children and young people from adverts that appeal to them or that they are likely to see.
• Stop misleading claims, such as suggesting gambling is a route to wealth, a solution to money worries or a sign of skill.
• Make offers clear, so that conditions such as wagering requirements are not hidden.
• Protect people already struggling, for example by respecting self-exclusion and not sending marketing to excluded customers.

An advert that promises a win, implies social success or encourages you to gamble with money you need is a warning sign wherever you live. Our guide to how bonuses actually work explains why headline offers rarely tell the full story.

Rules by country

• United Kingdom: Advertising is governed by the CAP and BCAP codes, which the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) enforces, and, for operators licensed in Great Britain, by the Gambling Commission through licence conditions. Since October 2022, gambling adverts must not appeal strongly to under-18s. The ASA has said this rules out high-profile sportspeople, social media influencers or TV personalities popular with children, and imagery from video games familiar to them. A separate CAP rule (16.3.14) stops anyone who is, or seems to be, under 25 from being featured gambling or playing a significant role in gambling marketing. There is a narrow exception for people aged 18 to 24 in marketing placed where a bet can be made directly, such as an operator’s own website, and the rule is not a blanket ban on every appearance. Separately, the Betting and Gaming Council runs a voluntary industry code, known as the whistle-to-whistle ban, which keeps gambling adverts off television around live sport shown before the 9pm watershed. It is an industry measure rather than a law.
• United States: There is no single national gambling advertising law, so state regulators set the main rules. Many states restrict phrases such as “free” or claims of no risk when you have to stake your own money. New York and Pennsylvania are examples, and rules have been tightened in other states too. The American Gaming Association has a voluntary marketing code for sports wagering that bars claims of no risk and says adverts should not be designed to appeal primarily to people under 21. Because laws are state by state, check your own state regulator.
• Ireland: Section 149 of the Gambling Regulation Act 2024 bars a licensee from arranging advertising on broadcasters, on-demand video services and on-demand sound services between 5:30am and 9pm, with an exception for charitable or philanthropic licences whose advertising carries no operator name or logo. The Act is being brought into force in stages. The commencement order of February 2026 did not include sections 143 to 151 (the advertising chapter), so treat the watershed as enacted. Check the commencement table on the Irish Statute Book, and the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland, for whether a later order has brought it into force.
• Canada: Advertising is mainly a provincial matter. In Ontario, the AGCO standards that took effect on 28 February 2024 prohibit using athletes in internet gaming advertising, with an exception for promoting responsible gambling. They also restrict celebrities, influencers and cartoon figures who would be expected to appeal to minors, and they bar targeting underage, high-risk or self-excluded people. A federal bill proposing a national framework for sports betting advertising has been debated, but check its current status.
• Australia: Online casino games are prohibited, so advertising centres on licensed sports and racing wagering. Providers must not send direct marketing to people registered with BetStop. Parliament passed major wagering advertising reforms in August 2026, and the government’s official page says the reforms commence from 1 January 2027. Reports describe a phased rollout with limits on television, radio, online and on-field advertising, including around live sport, so check the Department’s page for the date and scope of each measure.

Inducements and offers

Many adverts promote bonuses. Regulators generally want the key conditions to be visible and not misleading, and some US states have banned “free” wording entirely when your own money is at risk. Look at the wagering requirement, time limit and game restrictions before you act. Our guides to types of welcome bonus and promo and bonus codes explain how to read the small print.

Targeted marketing and your data

Online advertising is often personalised. Operators may use your activity to decide what you see, and the rules on how they can contact you depend on privacy law as well as advertising codes. In general, you can ask a company to stop marketing to you, and in the UK and Ireland the right to object to direct marketing is strong. See data privacy for gamblers for details.

How to cut down the marketing you see

• Opt out of email, SMS and push notifications in your account settings and in the unsubscribe link of any message.
• Use the advertising controls on social media to hide gambling adverts or report ones you think are inappropriate.
• Register for self-exclusion where available. See self-exclusion explained. Registered people should not receive marketing from covered operators.
• Block betting content on shared devices used by children.
• If you think an advert breaks the rules, report it to the advertising regulator or gambling regulator in your country.

The bottom line

Rules on gambling advertising vary widely, and some of the strictest protections, such as the UK whistle-to-whistle code, are voluntary rather than legal. No advert can change the odds or make a bet safe. Treat marketing as a sales message, read the conditions, switch off promotions you do not want, and use limits and self-exclusion if the adverts are tempting you to play more than you planned.

Sources

• CAP Code section 16: Gambling (asa.org.uk)
• AGCO: athletes and celebrities in Ontario igaming advertising (agco.ca)
• Responsible Marketing Code for Sports Wagering (americangaming.org)
• Gambling reforms 2026 (infrastructure.gov.au)
• Gambling Regulation Act 2024, revised Act (revisedacts.lawreform.ie)
• Gambling Regulation Act 2024: commencement table (irishstatutebook.ie)
• BetStop obligations for wagering providers (acma.gov.au)

18+ only (21 in most US states, 19 in most Canadian provinces for casino and betting). Gambling can be addictive. Free, confidential help is available: Great Britain: England and Scotland 0808 8020 133, Wales 0808 2819 265 (free, 24 hours), and GAMSTOP (gamstop.co.uk); US: National Problem Gambling Helpline 1-800-MY-RESET (the older 1-800-522-4700 also works); Australia: Gambling Help Online 1800 858 858 and BetStop (betstop.gov.au); Ontario, Canada: ConnexOntario 1-866-531-2600; Ireland: speak to your GP or the HSE. Never gamble money you need for living costs.