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Platform policy
Meta Online Gambling and Games Ad Policy
A 2023 law firm summary reports that Meta requires written permission before online gambling ads run on Facebook and Instagram. Meta's own policy page did not return readable text to our tools, so every Meta cell in our matrix stays unconfirmed.
What we could and could not verify. Meta's policy page, "Online gambling and games" in its Transparency Center, gave our tools only a page title on October 28, 2026. The requirements below come from a summary by Ifrah Law dated August 28, 2023. Treat them as a starting point and read Meta's current page before applying.
In brief
Reported: advertisers must "obtain written permission to promote online gambling and gaming."
Reported: applicants show that the activity is "appropriately licensed by a regulator" or otherwise lawful in each target territory.
Reported: Meta "does not allow users to target people under the age of 18" with these ads, even with permission.
Permission is reported to apply only to the approved URLs, territories and ad account IDs.
What the policy is reported to cover
The 2023 summary describes Meta's definition of online gambling and gaming as broad. Ads that lead to landing pages promoting online gambling, including affiliate sites, are reported to need approval. The same summary says physical gambling, retail-price prize promotions and entirely free-to-play games do not require permission.
That split matters for affiliates. A comparison page that links to operators is reported to fall inside the policy, so it needs permission like an operator does. Our guide to gambling affiliate advertising compares how each platform treats affiliates.
What the permission request is reported to need
According to the summary, applicants must show evidence that their activity is licensed by a regulator, or lawful without a license, in each territory they want to target. The summary says this is usually a legal opinion or memorandum. Approval is reported to cover only the URLs and territories listed, and to be granted to specific ad account IDs.
In practice, that means preparing the same evidence pack you would use for Google Ads certification: license documents per market, the exact destination URLs and the accounts that will run the ads.
Status in our four markets
Because we could not read Meta's current policy text, each country stays at "Unknown / verify official policy". The records list what the 2023 summary reports, so you know what to ask Meta about.
Meta's permission does not make an ad lawful where it runs. In Ontario, for example, public advertising of bonuses is banned under Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) standards whatever the platform allows, and in Australia ads for online casino-style games are prohibited outright. The guide to platform policy and gambling law explains how the two layers fit together, and each country page lists the rules that apply there.
Questions
Do free-to-play casino games need Meta's permission?
The 2023 summary says entirely free-to-play games do not require permission. Check Meta's current policy, because its separate social casino rules may still apply.
Can I target 18 to 20 year olds in the US with Meta gambling ads?
Meta is reported to block targeting under 18, but US state rules commonly set 21. Massachusetts and Ohio rules, for example, forbid ads aimed at people under 21, so set the higher age where state law requires it.
Why does GamingAdRulebook not show Meta as allowed anywhere?
Because we could not confirm Meta's country rules from Meta's own page. We only mark a status as confirmed when the platform's page says so.
