Elon Musk’s social media platform’s quiet change of its Paid Partnerships policy, removing gambling from the industries it permits for organic advertising tie-ups, has sounded a loud alarm for betting brands.
forced to abandon the platform
According to trade media sources, the policy change means betting brands would need to “shift into formal advertising routes that meet X Ads standards” or be forced to abandon the platform.
X’s policy amendment, which was updated last week, reportedly only recently listed gambling under its Prohibited Industries list.
The updated ban on the vertical spans “gambling products and services (including lotteries, social casinos, sports betting, and other gambling related content).”
X defines a Paid Partnership as content created in return “for compensation or incentive” from third parties. These include “affiliate commissions, revenue-sharing agreements, referral and discount codes, ambassador arrangements, direct payments, and gifted products or experiences.”
X’s new policy effectively restricts monetized organic gambling advertising on its platform, meaning firms publishing “betting tips, odds comparisons or commission-based sportsbook links” have to rethink their marketing strategy.
In addition, the policy states that any violations of its Paid Partnerships rules “may lead to content removal, temporary account restrictions or read-only status.”
