October 2026 brings another round of Google Ads policy shifts affecting gambling and prediction-market advertisers — one new restriction, one market opening up, and one editorial change with a pointed exception for affiliates. Here’s what changed and what it means for your campaigns.
Prediction market ads banned in Connecticut
Connecticut has become the fifth U.S. state removed from the prediction-markets program Google opened in January 2026 — the framework that lets platforms regulated by the CFTC and licensed by the NFA advertise on Google Ads.
It joins Nevada, Ohio, Michigan and New York, which were carved out earlier. The pattern is what matters here: these local bans take effect immediately once a state court or regulator rules, leaving advertisers no runway to adapt. A campaign that is compliant one day can be switched off the next.
Online lottery ads greenlit in Colombia
On the other side of the ledger, from October 21, 2026 Google Ads will allow online lottery advertising in Colombia — but only for operators authorized by the national regulator Consejo Nacional de Juegos de Suerte y Azar (CNJSA).
Until now, Google Ads in Colombia permitted only slots, roulette, blackjack, baccarat, bingo, poker and betting, and only with a license from Coljuegos. Official state and departmental lotteries sat under a full ban simply because they weren’t in the approved category list. That gap is now closing for licensed operators — a clear opportunity for anyone holding CNJSA authorization.
Business name may differ from domain — but not for affiliates
Google has updated its Editorial Policy to let advertisers show a business name that doesn’t match the landing-page domain. The change takes effect in October 2026 — internal support notes point to October 16.
It’s allowed only when all three conditions are met:
- Recognized brand. The business name clearly corresponds to the advertiser’s officially recognized brand or trademark.
- Verified direct relationship. There is a confirmed direct relationship between the advertiser and the domain owner.
- Direct sales on the domain. The advertiser’s products or services are sold directly on that domain.
Crucially, Google spells out who is excluded from this relaxation: resellers, secondary-market sellers, independent booking platforms and affiliates may not place a brand name in the Business Name field. It’s another signal of where the platform draws the line between brands and the affiliate/arbitrage layer around them.
What it means for iGaming advertisers
- Geo volatility is the new normal. State- and country-level rules now flip with little or no notice — plan for sudden on/off switches, not stable approvals.
- Opportunity is uneven. Colombia opens for licensed lottery operators the same month the U.S. tightens prediction markets. Watch your specific geos, not “Google” as a whole.
- The brand/affiliate line is hardening. The Business Name change explicitly leaves affiliates out — a reminder that Google increasingly favors licensed brands over the arbitrage layer.
- Diversify your channels. When a single platform can pause your reach overnight, a specialized ad network is the stability layer underneath your media mix.
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ViewTraff gives iGaming advertisers stable, transparent inventory built for the vertical. Tell us your geos and goals — we’ll map the formats that fit.
