Google to End Gambling Affiliate Advertising in Croatia From October 7

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Altay Celikkaya

Content Manager

Updated: 15/09/26

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Google will stop allowing online gambling-promoting content to be advertised to users in Croatia from 7 October 2026, a change that directly affects gambling affiliates, aggregators and comparison websites. The company will revoke existing Google Ads certifications for this category and stop accepting new applications.

The change does not amount to a blanket ban on online gambling advertising in Croatia. Licensed operators will remain able to promote their own gambling services where they meet Google’s certification requirements and applicable Croatian rules.

Google logo beside the Croatian flag overlooking a coastal city, illustrating Google’s new restrictions on gambling affiliate advertising in Croatia.

Affiliate & Marketing

Key Takeaways From Google’s Croatia Gambling Ad Change

Affiliate and comparison sites will no longer be able to run Google Ads campaigns targeting Croatia from 7 October
Existing certifications for online gambling-promoting content targeting the country will be revoked
Google will stop accepting new certification applications for this advertising category in Croatia
Licensed gambling operators are not covered by the new prohibition and may remain eligible to advertise
Publishers reliant on paid search for Croatian traffic may need to reassess acquisition strategies and their dependence on Google Ads

Google Draws a Clear Line Between Affiliates and Operators

Google published its official Croatia policy update on 9 September, giving affected advertisers less than a month to prepare for the change.

The company said:

Promotion of online gambling will not be affected by this policy update.

That clarification is significant. Google’s wider Gambling and Games policy treats an operator advertising its own licensed gambling services separately from an affiliate, aggregator or comparison site promoting third-party gambling brands.

The Croatia change also follows stricter Google gambling advertising certification requirements introduced earlier in 2026. Those rules placed greater weight on domain ownership, advertiser compliance history and eligibility for gambling certification.

Croatia’s Advertising Market Is Already More Restrictive

Google’s decision comes against a tighter domestic advertising environment for gambling businesses.

Croatia amended its gambling legislation in 2025 to introduce stronger marketing controls, including restrictions on internet, audiovisual and radio gambling advertising between 06:00 and 23:00. The framework also restricts links directing users from electronic publications to gambling operator websites and places limits on the use of public figures and social media creators in gambling promotions.

The regulatory framework has nevertheless continued to attract scrutiny, with Croatian lawmakers previously calling for changes over perceived gaps in gambling advertising and player-protection rules.

For affiliate publishers, Google’s decision effectively adds a platform-level restriction on top of that domestic regulatory environment.

Paid Acquisition Options Narrow for Gambling Publishers

The immediate commercial impact falls most heavily on publishers that use paid search to attract Croatian users to casino reviews, betting comparisons and similar content.

From 7 October, those businesses will no longer have the certification route required to promote such content through Google Ads in Croatia. Organic search, direct traffic and other compliant distribution channels could therefore become more strategically important for publishers seeking to maintain reach in the market.

The move also fits into Google’s broader tightening of gambling-related advertising controls. The company blocked more than 270 million gambling and games ads in 2025, alongside wider investment in automated enforcement and advertiser verification.

For licensed Croatian operators, however, the immediate position is different. Google has explicitly preserved online gambling advertising itself, making the 7 October update a targeted restriction on the affiliate and aggregator layer rather than an exit from gambling advertising in Croatia.