Google will stop running online gambling ads aimed at audiences in Croatia from October 7, 2026. The company updated the country-specific terms in the Gambling and Games section of its Google Ads policy.
From that date all existing certifications held by online casino advertisers in Croatia will be revoked, and new applications will not be accepted. The ban does not cover offline gambling. It hits affiliate sites and media outlets that buy Google ads to send traffic to operators. Google said the decision was taken independently of the restrictions the Croatian government has introduced.
What Croatia banned
Since January 1, 2026, gambling advertising in the country has been tightly limited. Ads for online casinos, bookmakers and casinos are banned on TV, radio and the internet between 6:00 and 23:00. Print and outdoor advertising, billboards included, is banned as well.
Digital publishers cannot place direct links to operators. Bonus and free spins promotions are allowed only on operators' own sites. Celebrities and influencers are barred from ad campaigns and gambling streams.
Sponsorship is allowed, but only with a name, logo and brand elements shown — no calls to play, no mention of offers. Any permitted ad must carry a warning about addiction risk and about the ban for minors. Low-risk lottery products are exempt.
Croatian media picked up on the football federation's (HNS) partnership with US operator Kalshi, announced in June with Luka Modric. Prediction markets are unregulated in Croatia and no agency has reacted to the campaign.
