X has banned gambling brands from using paid partnerships with content creators, classifying gambling alongside alcohol, tobacco, weapons, and sexual products under its updated commercial content policy.
The policy change places casinos, sports betting operators, lotteries, social casinos, and fantasy sports providers in a “Prohibited Industries” list for branded content, meaning influencers and content publishers can no longer accept compensation from gambling businesses in exchange for promotional posts. The restriction covers all formats within the platform’s paid partnership ecosystem.
What the Policy Covers
X’s updated commercial content policy states: “The following categories of content are not eligible for promotion through Paid Partnerships: gambling products and services (including lotteries, social casinos, sports betting, and other gambling-related content).”
The ban extends to affiliate and tips-based gambling content, not only direct operator promotions. A land-based casino advertising its hotel and resort facilities remains permitted, provided the content does not reference gambling activity.
Direct advertising by gambling operators on the platform is unaffected, though it continues to be classified as Restricted Content under X’s advertising policy. Brands must obtain prior approval before running any campaign. The key distinction is between operator-to-platform advertising, which remains available, and operator-to-influencer paid promotions, which are now prohibited.
Context: Influencer Marketing Under Pressure
The policy shift follows sustained scrutiny of celebrity and influencer-led gambling promotions across social media. Regulators in multiple European markets have tightened rules on gambling advertising in recent years, with Denmark introducing a strict advertising ban that contributed to a 46% fall in sports betting revenue, and Spain introducing tobacco-style warning labels for online gambling content.
X did not publish an explanation for the policy change. The move aligns with efforts to manage brand safety on the platform and expand its advertiser base beyond large gambling and entertainment brands. X generated approximately $2.3bn in advertising revenue worldwide in 2025, with $1.31bn from the United States alone.
A YouGov survey cited in connection with the policy change found that nearly half of respondents felt celebrity endorsements for casinos or betting companies made the brand appear less credible. The survey noted that effective partnerships tend to involve individuals with a direct connection to sport or gambling rather than general celebrity profiles.
Operator and Influencer Impact
For gambling operators, paid partnerships with content creators have functioned as a lower-friction alternative to traditional display advertising, offering audience targeting through established creator communities. The ban removes that channel entirely within the X ecosystem, pushing operators toward the platform’s formal advertising products, which carry higher compliance requirements and require pre-approval.
Content creators who monetised gambling partnerships as part of their revenue mix will need to restructure arrangements with operator clients. The financial scale of those arrangements on X specifically has not been disclosed by the platform or by operators.
The change is the latest in a series of platform-level restrictions tightening the conditions under which gambling brands can operate in social media environments. Operators have previously flagged concerns that advertising restrictions push players toward unlicensed channels rather than reducing overall gambling activity, a dynamic regulators across Europe have acknowledged but not resolved.
How gambling operators redistribute influencer marketing budgets across other platforms, and whether rival platforms introduce comparable restrictions, will determine the medium-term impact on the industry’s social media marketing exposure.
Source: X Commercial Content Policy
