The playing field is changing in one fell swoop. X (formerly Twitter. Ed.), is closing the door on gambling advertising, unless countries explicitly give permission and advertisers get a green light in advance. For operators and affiliates, this means: no more gray areas, but strict control. But Belgium seems to remain unaffected.
The platform published a sweeping update to its advertising policy regarding games of chance. The core message is tough: gambling advertising is basically banned worldwide. Campaigns can only run in countries where it is legally permitted, and often only after direct authorization by X itself.
With this, social advertising shifts from a free playing field to a strictly guarded gateway. Whereas X was previously not as strict.
Standard ban with limited exceptions
The new policy affects not only online casinos and bookmakers. Physical casinos, fantasy sports platforms, lotteries, scratch cards, poker tools, bonus promotions, and affiliates also fall under the rules. The entire marketing ecosystem around gambling is coming under supervision.
In many markets, advertisers must first obtain certification and permission from X. This means that campaigns can no longer automatically participate in an open advertising auction. Without approval, there is no visibility.
Things are changing a lot for affiliates. In several European countries, such as the UK, France, Denmark, and the Czech Republic, they may only advertise under specific license conditions and often only after prior permission. In the United States, additional restrictions apply: affiliate advertisements may not link directly to gambling sites and may not contain betting functionality on landing pages.
However, nothing is mentioned about Belgium.
Europe remains fragmented in its regulation
Europe remains accessible, but only for licensed parties. Countries such as the UK, Sweden, Germany, Spain, France, and the Netherlands each apply their own rules. Italy only allows state lotteries and Spain completely bans affiliate traffic.
What Belgium’s position is, is unclear. Nor is it clear whether it is excluded from the measures.
X thereby largely follows national legislation, but adds an extra platform layer on top. Licenses, disclaimers, correct country targeting, and proper landing pages are mandatory. In some countries, a specific domain extension must be used or separate advertising times apply.
United States and growth markets under conditions
In the US, sports betting, online casinos, poker, and lotteries are permitted, but advertisers must be based in the US and comply with federal and local rules. X reserves the right to impose additional requirements.
In emerging markets such as Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Colombia, Mexico, Argentina, and Brazil, advertising is sometimes possible, but only with local approval and often after direct permission from the platform.
The message is clear. Anyone who wants to remain active on X must have their licenses, warnings, and landing pages in perfect order. The platform now determines who gets access.