Online gaming and gambling is a highly targeted industry with high potential ROI. Facebook provides an opportunity for online gaming and gambling companies to reach a particular target audience. Unfortunately, the official Facebook advertising policy enforcement focuses on how people can buy ads “illegally.”
What You Need to Know About Facebook’s Advertising Policy
Although the official policy disallows ads for companies promoting or facilitating online gaming and gambling, Facebook’s advertising policy has not been consistent. Gambling and gaming ad guidelines:
- Ads must not promote products or services that encourage, facilitate, or instruct others to gamble illegally (ex: online casinos).
- Gambling and gaming ads will only be within countries where such advertisements are legal. (This includes sites that allow users located in those countries to play games of chance.)
- The name of any product or service in your ad cannot use words commonly associated with online gaming or gambling, such as poker, casino, bingo, lottery, slots, etc. Please include a country within your ad’s URL string to ensure that it is not blocked.
- Ads for gambling apps will only be on other gambling apps. Ads for gambling sites can target people in countries where online gambling and gaming are legal, and the ads must link to a landing page that clearly states what the app or site offers.
- Ads must not promote any illegal, counterfeit, stolen, or non-transferable items, again including virtual currency, including but not limited to casino chips (virtual or real), cash credits/gift cards (see our Virtual Goods policy).
What Can’t Gambling Content Be On Facebook?
Gambling or gaming ads cannot promote the following:
- Sites where users can buy gambling chips (virtual currency for online casinos) using actual money.
- Online sites where people can bet on poker or any other game of skill with anything of value, including money or other items that represent monetary value. (Note that this is not allowed even if it is legal.)
- Illegal contests such as pyramid schemes, “get rich quick” plans, and sweepstakes unless they meet Facebook’s contest guidelines.
- If your sweepstakes meet all requirements, you can apply for pre-approval to run the ad promoting the sweepstakes here.
- Gambling or gaming ads cannot promote real money games unless they meet Facebook’s contest guidelines.
In addition, gambling and gaming ads cannot promote the following:
- Online education courses to teach how to gamble or game online. It includes free online tutorials that teach how to place bets on sports matches, play poker, casino-style games, etc.
- Ads for the physical location of casinos (or any other gambling/gaming product or service) where users can visit in person; this is not allowed even if the offer is legal and appropriate for all ages. Ads promoting games such as bingo and lotto must follow our Bingo & Lotto Ad Guidelines.
How To Promote Online Gaming And Gambling Legally
Products or services that are illegal, whether they are directly promoting those products or not. The status of the product or service must be clear on your ad’s landing page. Please note that Facebook does not allow ads for games of skill where the prizes are cash. However, it is possible to promote sweepstakes and contests as long as you follow all rules. Ads must link to a website where users can learn more about the type of goods/services being promoted before entering any contest, purchasing any goods/services, or making monetary transactions. Ads cannot offer “free trials” without clearly stating what the free trial consists of and how much it costs.
Final Thoughts
If you would like to run ads for gaming apps, please visit our Developer Policy Center and follow the steps. Facebook’s advertising policy for online gaming and gambling is still evolving. Therefore, make sure to check the policy regularly to stay in the loop.
Tags: Facebook, Facebook Ads, Gambling Ads, Gambling Marketing, Sweepstake
