Google Ads opened the UAE to licensed gambling advertisers on 10 March 2026, permitting operators authorised by the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA) to run campaigns for internet gaming and sports wagering services for the first time.
What the Policy Change Covers
The update, announced by Google on 18 February 2026, extends the permitted product categories in the UAE beyond the state-run lotteries allowed since June 2025. Eligible products now include lotteries, internet gaming, and sports wagering. Advertisers must hold a valid GCGRA licence and apply separately for Google Ads certification before campaigns can run.
The June 2025 update had been narrower in scope, covering only GCGRA-authorised state lotteries. The March 2026 change brings private operators with internet gaming and sports wagering licences into scope for the first time, reflecting the maturation of the GCGRA’s licensing framework since the authority began issuing vendor licences in late 2024.
Certification Requirements
As with other markets where Google permits gambling advertising, UAE-targeted campaigns require country-specific certification. Advertisers must apply through Google’s certification process and demonstrate that their licence is current. Google’s broader certification eligibility update, which came into effect on 23 March 2026, added a policy health requirement: accounts with a history of certification revocations or gambling policy violations will lose the ability to apply for new certifications. Manager accounts with significant volumes of affected sub-accounts face the same restriction.
Certification is not available for sites hosted on third-party platforms, subdomains not owned by the advertiser, or domains with no verifiable association to a gambling business. For operators targeting the UAE alongside other markets, each country requires a separate certification application.
Context: UAE Market Development
The policy change tracks the pace of the GCGRA’s own licensing activity. The authority had 17 licensed gaming vendors operating at the start of 2026, a number that has grown steadily since the UAE began building its regulatory framework in 2024. The broader question for operators entering or expanding in the market is whether the advertising channel can now support meaningful customer acquisition at scale, given that online gaming and sports wagering remain in early commercial stages in the Gulf.
The UAE remains on Google’s list of countries where offline gambling advertising is prohibited. The March 2026 update applies to online channels only.
For iGaming operators with GCGRA licences, the practical implication is access to Google Search and Display inventory in a market where paid digital channels were previously closed to them. The extent to which demand exists to justify that spend will depend on how quickly the UAE’s regulated player base develops in 2026.
Google’s gambling and games policy page was updated when the change took effect on 10 March 2026. The GCGRA has been issuing vendor licences to operators including Yolo Group, with the UAE gambling regulatory landscape continuing to expand as the emirate builds out its legal gaming framework.
Source: Google Ads Policy Help Center
