BREAKING: Google Bans Giveaways and Here’s What It Means

You know that moment when you open media buying news, see “Oh no, Google banned giveaways!!!”, but you don’t panic and continue sipping your coffee calmly, because for PropellerAds partners, it’s not a disaster at all. 

Still, we’ll walk through what Google actually changed, what it didn’t, and how this fits into real regulations to make sure you know what’s happening in detail. No drama! 

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So, What Did Google Actually Do?

On October 28, 2025, Google updated its Gambling and Games policy. Regarding giveaways or else – sweepstakes gaming, Google clearly states that they are no longer considered “social games.” That’s it. 

In the same breath, they say that games offering real-world rewards fall under the Google gambling offer policy instead, with all its extra restrictions.

However, this is what PropellerAds has been doing all the time! And guess what? Our partners follow these rules, purchase PropellerAds traffic, and continue scaling and earning money. So if you are not a fan of Google-style surprises, you always have PropellerAds by your side. Think about it.  

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Is This a Ban on Giveaways? 

If you only read industry news, you’d think the sky fell. Many outlets summarized it as “Google bans giveaways” or “no more Google Ads for sweepstake games.”

But what if we look at Google’s own policy pages? Here:

So the real picture is not so dramatic:

• If your offer is a properly licensed iGaming or giveaway that fits under the rules in a given GEO, you can still run there. 
• If your product lived in the gray zone of “it’s basically iGaming but we call it giveaways,” your life on Google just got much harder.

So, to sum up, there is no such thing as “all giveaways are dead on Google” verdict here, rather a clear message:

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Why Did This Happen? 

For years, giveaways (what Google and the press often call sweepstake gaming) have used dual-currency systems:

Regulators absolutely noticed this. Several US states and legal trackers describe these models as simulated iGaming with virtual currency + prize mechanics, and have been tightening the screws around them. From a legal point of view, the logic is simple:

If there is no real-world value, such offers can be treated like entertainment or social gaming.

If there is real-world value and withdrawal option, even via “coins,” it starts to resemble iGaming, and regulators step in.

So if you thought it was a random mood swing from Google, it’s not, but rather the ad policy catching up with how giveaways actually work in 2025-2026.

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Platforms and Laws: Who’s Really in Charge?

Important reminder for your inner lawyer: Google is not the regulator.

• Laws come from countries and states specifically targeting advertisers/brands that use dual currencies and offer real prizes.
• Offer owners design their models with those laws in mind.
• Ad platforms (such as Google or PropellerAds) then create their own policies to ensure they aren’t hosting content that breaks those local rules. 

Google’s October update didn’t create a brand-new legal category, but just aligned their ad rules with the fact that many giveaway products look, feel, and behave like iGaming products in the eyes of regulators.

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Does Anything Change for PropellerAds Partners? 

PropellerAds has long treated giveaways and all iGaming-style offers as regulated verticals with their own checks and restrictions.

As a result, with PropellerAds, you stay on the white side, receive clean traffic, and have no fear of sudden restrictions – you’re safe! 

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Make Sure Your Creatives and Funnels are Policy-Friendly

Even before this update, Google’s Misrepresentation rules and iGaming/Games policy already demanded that:

• You don’t hide the real nature of your product;
• You don’t imply real-money winnings where they don’t exist;
• And you don’t mislead users about costs, odds, or eligibility.

So whether you’re running on Google, PropellerAds, or anywhere else, your giveaway creative hygiene should look like this:

• Explain the mechanics clearly: how to participate, how entries work, and how winners are chosen.
• Show realistic expectations: “You can enter for a chance to win,” not “you’re definitely rich now.”
• Disclose conditions: GEO restrictions, age limits, “no purchase necessary” if that’s part of your legal model, and links to full Terms and Conditions. 
• Align landing page and ad copy: if the ad promises a giveaway entry, the lander shouldn’t look like a generic puzzle game with a tiny giveaway disclaimer in 6pt grey. Use the space on your landing page not only for bright CTAs, but also to explain how to enter, what the rewards are, and what the restrictions/rules are.

That clarity keeps users happy, compliance sane, and future reviews less terrifying.

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Wrapping Up: Giveaways Are Not Dead! 

So, to bring it all home for our blog readers, let’s sum up. Google’s October 28 update didn’t suddenly invent new rules; rather it finally wrote down that giveaways with real-value prizes are now iGaming and they require additional regulation and licensing.

White-hat, licensed operators still have paths to advertise.

And when you’re ready to scale compliant giveaway campaigns with formats that actually convert, we’ll be right here with traffic, tools, and fewer surprises! See you at PropellerAds!