Google will update its Personalized Ads policy in December to exclude *social casino game apps from the restricted “Gambling” sensitive interest category.
Key details:
- Social casino game ads will be allowed to use personalized targeting starting Dec. 4.
- All advertisers will have this capability by the end of March 2025.
- Gambling-related ads will still be prohibited from personalization, except for social casino game apps.
Why we care. This policy change will allow you to leverage more personalized ad targeting for social casino game apps, potentially improving performance and user acquisition.
The catch. Violations of the Personalized Ads policy will prompt a warning before any account suspension, giving advertisers more runway.
Between the lines. This signals Google’s willingness to loosen restrictions around personalization for a specific category of gaming apps, potentially opening up new opportunities for advertisers.
What they’re saying. Google did not provide additional context around the rationale for this policy change.
What to watch. Whether this update leads to a surge in personalized social casino game advertising, and if Google faces any backlash over the relaxed rules.
Bottom line. Google is carving out an exception for social casino game apps within its broader gambling ad personalization restrictions, a move that could boost performance for that segment of advertisers.
About. Social casino game apps are online games that simulate casino gambling (e.g. poker, slots, roulette) where there is no opportunity to win money or money’s worth.
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About the author
Anu Adegbola has been Paid Media Editor of Search Engine Land since 2024. She covers paid search, paid social, retail media, video and more.
In 2008, Anu’s career started with
delivering digital marketing campaigns (mostly but not exclusively Paid Search) by building strategies, maximising ROI, automating repetitive processes and bringing efficiency from every part of marketing departments through inspiring leadership both on agency, client and marketing tech side.
Outside editing Search Engine Land article she is the founder of PPC networking event – PPC Live and host of weekly podcast PPCChat Roundup.
She is also an international speaker with some of the stages she has presented on being SMX (US), SMX (Munich), Friends of Search (Amsterdam), brightonSEO, The Marketing Meetup, HeroConf (PPC Hero), SearchLove, BiddableWorld, SESLondon, PPC Chat Live, AdWorld Experience (Bologna) and more.
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