YouTube is cracking down on gambling content. Here’s what’s changing

YouTube is taking steps to crack down on gambling content. 

On Tuesday, the platform announced a new policy that bans creators from directing viewers to “unapproved” gambling websites through links, images, text, logos, or verbal mentions. According to YouTube, “unapproved” is defined as any site that doesn’t meet local legal requirements or hasn’t undergone review by YouTube or its parent company, Google.

The new rules, which go into effect March 19, also include a new age restriction. Online gambling content will no longer be viewable by users who are signed out or signed in under the age of 18. YouTube has made two exceptions to the rule: content focused on online sports betting and in-person gambling. 

YouTube also made it clear that it may take down videos that “promise guaranteed returns,” regardless of whether the gambling site itself is approved. “We know this update may impact creators who focus on online gambling content like casino games and applications, but we believe these changes are a necessary step in protecting our community, especially younger viewers,” YouTube said in the announcement.

This is just one in a number of recent actions YouTube is taking to protect younger viewers on its platform. Just last month, Google announced that it would start testing a machine learning model to estimate user ages more accurately, allowing platforms like YouTube to better tailor content to appropriate audiences.

This also isn’t YouTube’s first pushback against gambling-related content. The company previously banned gambling ads for its masthead ad slot in 2021. However, this hasn’t slowed down the flood of gambling content from creators looking to cash in on sponsorships and affiliate programs. On YouTube, videos promising to teach viewers how to cash in on ">election betting and ">sports betting rack up hundreds of thousands of views.

While platforms including Twitch and X already impose some restrictions on online-gambling promotion, enforcement is far from airtight. On X, for instance, viral images often surface with watermarks from gambling company Stake, in an attempt to sidestep the platform’s rules and sneak gambling promotions into the feed. In 2022, Stake’s founders launched Kick, a direct competitor to Twitch, specifically designed to allow live-streamed gambling content and direct promotions for online casinos.

In the wild wild west of online gambling, at least YouTube is making attempts to step up and protect young, impressionable viewers. 

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