Can you promote gambling on Instagram? Meta rules for operators and creators

The short answer

• Operators need written permission. Meta requires prior written permission to run ads that promote online gambling, applied for through the Permissions and Verifications area of Business Suite.
• Permission is per account and per market. Applicants show their licences and compliance for each region where ads will run, and each ad account needs its own approval.
• Creators register too. Creators who publish gambling branded content must register with Meta and show a signed agreement with the operator.
• No under-18 targeting. The ban applies to real money gambling and to free-play casino content.

Social casinos and free-play games where nothing of monetary value can be won are outside the online gambling permission rules, but still under the age targeting ban.

What counts as online gambling on Meta

Meta treats any game with paid entry and a prize of monetary value as online gambling. That includes casino, sports betting, poker and lotteries, and it reaches ads whose landing pages promote gambling, such as affiliate and comparison sites.

Organic posts versus ads versus branded content

Our influencer whitelisting guide explains how partnership ads work for the brand and the creator.

How Instagram compares with other platforms for gambling content

The common thread is licensing. Every major platform now asks some version of the same question: is this operator licensed where this audience lives?

Market rules still apply on top of Meta

Meta's approval does not override local law. In the UK, CAP rules ban content of strong appeal to under-18s, which rules out many young-looking creators and youth culture formats. In Alberta, public ads cannot show bonuses, and athletes can only appear in responsible gambling messages.

Check where a creator's audience actually sits. An Instagram account with a large audience in a market you are not licensed for is a compliance problem even if the post is approved. Our gambling influencer marketing compliance guide covers those market rules in more depth.

A checklist before any gambling post goes live

1. Operator permission. Confirm the advertiser account has Meta's gambling permission for the target markets.
2. Creator status. Confirm the creator is registered and has a signed agreement on file.
3. Audience evidence. Get audience age and country data from the creator's own insights, dated this month.
4. Claims. Remove win promises, risk-free wording and any bonus claims the market bans.
5. Labels. Use the paid partnership label and keep a copy of the final post and its targeting.

For the same checks on another platform, see our TikTok gambling marketing rules.

Why gambling posts get flagged or removed

• No permission on the advertiser account. The most common reason ads stop before launch.
• Creator not registered. Branded content from an unregistered creator can be removed even when the operator holds permission.
• Audience age signals. Young-looking creators, school-age humour and youth trends draw both Meta and regulator attention.
• Landing page mismatch. An ad approved for one market that lands on a page offering bonuses banned there.
• Win promises. Captions that imply easy or guaranteed winnings break Meta's rules and most regulators' codes.