§10.6
Advertising & marketing.
How 9 markets rule gambling ads — from a “strong appeal” test to a total ban — plus the 6 standards, liability and platform topics behind them.Rules move fast and differ sharply. The same campaign can be legal in one market and a criminal offence in another. Figures below are last-verified and cited — confirm current rules with each regulator. Not legal advice.
AD RULES BY MARKET · 9 strictest first
| Jurisdiction | Status | Defining rule | RG message |
|---|---|---|---|
| Italy | Total ad ban | Blanket ban on all gambling advertising, sponsorship and promotion (Dignity Decree, Art. 9) | N/A — advertising is prohibited (only narrow factual/logo exceptions clarified by AGCOM) |
| Belgium | Near-total ban | Royal Decree of 27 Feb 2023: near-total ban on gambling advertising from 1 July 2023 | Very limited permitted messaging (operator's own website + search results); 18+ (21+ for casino/online games) |
| Germany | Heavily restricted | GlüStV 2021: TV/radio/internet ad blackout 06:00–21:00 for online slots/poker/casino; no ads during the live sports event being bet on; no active-athlete endorsers | Mandatory addiction risk warning + reference to help and the OASIS central self-exclusion file |
| Netherlands | Heavily restricted | Ban on untargeted advertising since 1 July 2023; sponsorship of programmes/events and sport phased out | 'Wat kost gokken jou? Stop op tijd. 18+' (What does gambling cost you? Stop in time.) |
| Spain | Heavily restricted | Royal Decree 958/2020: TV/radio/video ads only 01:00–05:00, no welcome bonuses to new customers, no celebrities/influencers, no sports-shirt sponsorship | 'Juega con responsabilidad' + jugarbien.es; 18+ |
| Australia | Permitted with restrictions | Whistle-to-whistle ban on live-sport betting ads (5 min before/during/after, 05:00–20:30) + rotating mandatory taglines + credit-card betting ban | Seven rotating mandatory taglines (since Mar 2023) replaced 'Gamble Responsibly' — e.g. 'Chances are you're about to lose', 'What's gambling really costing you?' + National Gambling Helpline 1800 858 858 |
| Brazil | Permitted with restrictions | Regulated 'Bets' market (Law 14,790/2023) live since 1 Jan 2025: only licensed .bet.br operators may advertise; no targeting/appeal to minors; mandatory warnings | Standardised warnings e.g. 'Apostar pode causar dependência' / 'Aposta não é investimento' (covering ≥10% of the ad) + 18+ |
| United Kingdom | Permitted with restrictions | 'Strong appeal' content test (must not strongly appeal to under-18s) + whistle-to-whistle TV ban on live sport | 'Take time to think' (taketimetothink.co.uk) — replaced 'When the Fun Stops, Stop' in 2021 |
| United States | Permitted with restrictions | State-by-state rules; industry self-regulation (AGA code): 21+ only, no 'risk-free' language, responsible-gaming messaging, no college/campus advertising | 1-800-GAMBLER (National Problem Gambling Helpline) + '21+'; conspicuous responsible-gaming messaging (mandated in many states) |
BanHeavily restrictedPermitted with restrictionsOpen a market for its detail and sources.
📏 Standards & tests· 3
'Risk-free' & bonus-claim bans + safer-gambling messaging
UK rules restrict 'risk-free' and misleading bonus claims in gambling ads and require clear safer-gambling and 18+ messaging.
Open topic →The whistle-to-whistle ban
A voluntary UK industry ban that stops TV betting adverts from five minutes before to five minutes after live sport shown before the 9pm watershed.
Open topic →UK CAP/BCAP & the 'strong appeal' test
UK gambling ads must not be of 'strong appeal' to under-18s, a stricter test that came into force on 1 October 2022.
Open topic →