YouTube is tightening its policies on gambling content with a major update aimed at protecting its younger audience.
Starting on March 19, 2025, the platform implemented stricter rules regarding how creators can promote or mention gambling services. These changes come as part of YouTube’s ongoing efforts to create a safer online environment, especially for teens, and to reduce the risks associated with online gambling content.
This latest update is part of a broader initiative from YouTube to strengthen its policies surrounding teen safety.
In addition to the gambling restrictions, YouTube has introduced a series of new teen safety tools, features, and resources through its Family Center. This initiative includes a partnership with the American Psychological Association (APA) to provide evidence-based guidance for parents on promoting healthy media consumption and protecting teens from potentially harmful content.
With these combined efforts, YouTube aims to create a more responsible platform that prioritizes the well-being of its younger users.
What Are the New Restrictions?
Under the new policies, YouTube will prohibit creators from verbally mentioning gambling services that are not approved by Google, as well as displaying their logos or linking to such sites in videos.
This includes any type of visual representation, such as logos embedded in images or text, as well as the verbal references made in video content.
Additionally, YouTube has made it clear that any content that promises "guaranteed returns," whether the gambling service has been approved by Google or not, may be removed. This move is part of YouTube's broader initiative to prevent misleading content that could encourage risky behaviors among viewers, particularly younger ones.
Videos related to online gambling will also face age restrictions. As part of these changes, content featuring gambling will not be viewable to users under 18 or to those who are signed out of their YouTube accounts.
This measure will help ensure YouTube’s content remains age-appropriate and in line with its community standards, particularly when it comes to content that may be harmful to adolescent mental health and well-being.
Why YouTube is Implementing These Changes
The decision to restrict gambling-related content comes after growing concerns about the impact of online gambling on younger viewers.
Adolescents, whose brains are still developing, are especially vulnerable to the risks posed by the easy accessibility of online gambling platforms.
A recent study by the National Institute of Health found that 60-80% of kids aged 13 to 17 admitted to gambling at least once in the last year, highlighting the significant exposure and potential harm this demographic faces. By taking a stronger stance on this issue, YouTube is aligning with its responsibility to protect its community, particularly as it relates to mental health and the well-being of its youngest users.
The rapid growth of online gambling, especially among teenagers, has raised alarm bells across the tech industry. With gambling now more accessible than ever—through online casino games, slots, and sports betting—there has been an increasing need to regulate how these services are promoted on platforms where young people frequently engage.
YouTube’s updated policies reflect a necessary response to this growing concern, ensuring the platform remains a safer space for all users, especially its teen audience.
Exemptions and What’s Not Affected
YouTube's new gambling content restrictions are aimed at better protecting younger audiences, but the full scope of what's permissible remains somewhat unclear.
The platform has implemented strict rules prohibiting creators from linking to, mentioning, or visually displaying gambling sites and services not certified by Google. This includes any URLs, text links, logos, or verbal references to such services.
As part of these changes, YouTube is mainly targeting online gambling platforms associated with higher risks of addiction, particularly those offering slot machines, virtual games, or similar content. However, some content related to online sports betting or in-person gambling (e.g., casino floor games like poker and blackjack) appears to remain unaffected by these new rules.
The specific boundaries between these categories are still being defined, with YouTube's policy stating that content promising "guaranteed returns" will be removed, regardless of whether the gambling service is approved by Google.
Given that the policy is still being refined, it's not entirely clear whether content promoting certain online betting platforms, such as DraftKings or FanDuel, will face restrictions. These platforms, widely recognized among sports fans, may fall into a gray area depending on how YouTube enforces these guidelines.
Additionally, videos showcasing gambling practices in physical casinos (such as poker or blackjack games) are still allowed, but creators are encouraged to stay within the bounds of the platform's broader restrictions.
This is particularly relevant as YouTube continues to navigate the balance between ensuring a safe space for viewers and maintaining a wide range of content for creators. With online gambling content becoming a major part of YouTube's creator ecosystem, this area of policy enforcement is still evolving.
In the meantime, creators may need to err on the side of caution, particularly when it comes to featuring any form of gambling that falls outside Google’s approved list. The absence of clear guidelines leaves room for confusion, making it essential for creators to stay updated on YouTube's ongoing adjustments to these policies.
The Role of AI in Age Restrictions
In a move to further enhance the platform's age-based restrictions, YouTube will begin using machine learning models to estimate a user’s age.
This AI-driven tool will allow YouTube to proactively block gambling-related content for viewers who are not signed in or those under 18. The goal is to create a more seamless and efficient way of ensuring age-appropriate content is being served to users, thereby preventing minors from accessing gambling-related material.
This age verification system is a step toward YouTube’s larger goal of providing a safer experience for all users while helping creators maintain their engagement with a responsible audience. By using machine learning, YouTube aims to automatically enforce these age restrictions without requiring users to manually input their ages, which can sometimes be bypassed.
A Move From Other Platforms’ Playbook
YouTube’s move to restrict gambling content is part of a larger trend seen across social media platforms.
Services like Twitch and X (formerly Twitter) have already taken steps to limit or ban gambling-related content.
For example, Twitch began restricting streams that show gambling sites with slot machines, roulette, or dice games in 2022, marking a significant shift in how gambling content is handled on live-streaming platforms. Posting on X, the official Twitch account said the following:
An update on gambling on Twitch. pic.twitter.com/lckNTY9Edo
— Twitch (@Twitch) September 20, 2022
Similarly, X has put in place restrictions aimed at curbing the promotion of online gambling, though many users still find creative ways to circumvent these rules.
YouTube’s tighter restrictions are seen as a more proactive approach in comparison to some other platforms that are still grappling with how to manage gambling-related content. By focusing on prohibiting direct links, logos, and verbal references to unapproved gambling services, YouTube is aiming to take the first step toward mitigating the potential harm caused by gambling promotion.
How Do These Changes Impact Creators?
For YouTube creators who focus on gambling-related content, these new restrictions could have a significant impact.
Creators who rely on promoting online casino games and gambling applications may find their audience restricted or even their content removed if they do not comply with the new guidelines. This could force many gambling-focused creators to rethink their strategies and potentially shift away from online gambling content altogether.
However, YouTube has expressed its commitment to supporting creators while ensuring the platform remains a safe and responsible space. By providing clarity around what is and isn’t acceptable, the platform hopes to help creators adjust their content to align with its updated policies while still fostering a creative environment for all.
YouTube's Commitment to Safe, Responsible Content
YouTube’s new rules regarding the promotion of online gambling content reflect the platform’s growing concern for the safety and well-being of its younger audience.
By restricting links, logos, and verbal references to unapproved gambling sites, the platform is taking a stronger stance against potentially harmful content. At the same time, YouTube continues to support creators and aims to ensure that its policies strike the right balance between entertainment, education, and responsibility.
As the online gambling landscape continues to evolve, YouTube's efforts to regulate this content will likely serve as a model for other platforms aiming to protect their communities from the risks associated with gambling addiction and misleading promotional practices.
