YouTube Expands Restrictions on Gambling and Social Casino Content

YouTube has announced a series of policy changes targeting online gambling and social casino content, marking one of its most comprehensive updates to the platform’s Community Guidelines in recent years. The new rules, set to take effect on November 17, 2025, expand enforcement to include gambling activity involving digital goods, such as NFTs, in-game cosmetics, and virtual skins.

Gambling With Digital Goods Under Scrutiny

According to YouTube, the goal of these revisions is to keep pace with emerging trends and bring its standards closer in line with broader industry practices.

“Our policies are designed to evolve alongside the digital world. We’re making these updates to keep pace with new trends, like gambling with digital goods, and to more closely align our guidelines for mature content with industry standards,” the company said.

Under the new policy, creators may not post or promote content that directs viewers to gambling sites or apps that are not certified by Google. Previously, YouTube already prohibited links to unapproved real-money gambling operators, but the changes extend that restriction to cover gambling mechanisms tied to digital items with real-world value.

Social Casino Videos Now Age-Restricted

The platform is also tightening its rules around social casinos—games that simulate gambling but do not involve real-money wagers. Such content will now be restricted to audiences aged 18 and over, a move intended to prevent underage exposure to gambling-style mechanics.

In addition, YouTube will introduce new age restrictions for gaming videos featuring graphic violence involving realistic human characters, such as scenes focusing on torture or large-scale violence against civilians. When reviewing such content, the platform will consider the duration and prominence of violent scenes and the realism of characters depicted.

Minimal Impact Expected for Most Creators

YouTube said the majority of creators are unlikely to experience major disruptions:

“We expect most channels will experience little to no impact, but we know this is a lot of information, and we want to ensure you have time to adapt,” the company noted.

To prepare, creators are being given time to review and edit existing videos before the new rules take effect. Content that violates the updated guidelines may be removed or age-restricted, but YouTube confirmed that such cases will not trigger a strike under its enforcement system. Users can use the built-in editing tools—such as trimming or blurring—to update affected videos.

Google’s Wider Compliance Push

This update follows a broader shift across Google’s platforms regarding gambling-related content. Earlier in 2025, Google updated its Gambling and Games Policy, clarifying that sweepstakes casinos no longer qualify as social casino games under its advertising rules.

Google’s gambling ad certification program permits advertising only for licensed gambling products—such as sports betting, online casinos, lotteries, and fantasy sports—in jurisdictions where those activities are legally allowed. Advertisers must hold valid licenses and display disclaimers confirming that their content targets users of legal gambling age.

By aligning YouTube’s guidelines with Google’s certification framework, the company aims to ensure that any gambling-related content, including those involving digital goods or sweepstakes-style mechanics, remains compliant, transparent, and age-appropriate.

Source: YouTube Tightens Rules on Online Gambling and Social Casino Content, RealMoneyAction, November 7, 2025.