Google Bans Rummy and Fantasy Sports Ads in India From January 2026

Google has announced a major update to its Google Ads policy that will directly impact the online gaming sector in India. Effective January 21, 2026, all advertisements related to rummy and daily fantasy sports (DFS) will be prohibited from targeting Indian users.

Previously, both rummy and fantasy sports operators were allowed to advertise on Google Ads provided they obtained the required certification and complied with local regulations. Under the new policy, this exemption will be removed entirely, meaning that all paid advertising for these categories will be blocked regardless of licensing or legal status.

The decision marks a significant shift in Google’s approach to real-money gaming advertising in one of the world’s largest digital markets. While Google has not publicly detailed the reasoning behind the change, the move aligns with increasing regulatory and political scrutiny of online gaming and fantasy sports across several Indian states.

As of the announced date, operators and marketing partners will need to reassess their acquisition strategies, as Google Ads has historically been one of the primary paid traffic channels for rummy and DFS platforms in India.

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Why does it matter for affiliates?

For affiliates, the ban represents a substantial disruption to traffic acquisition and monetisation models tied to the Indian market. Many affiliates rely on Google Ads—either directly or indirectly—to generate high-intent traffic for rummy and fantasy sports offers.

With paid search and display channels effectively closed, competition for organic traffic is expected to intensify, increasing SEO costs and reducing margins. Smaller affiliates, in particular, may struggle to replace paid traffic volumes with alternative channels.

More broadly, Google’s decision sets a precedent that platform-level restrictions can override local licensing frameworks. This raises concerns for affiliates operating in other regulated or semi-regulated gaming markets, where advertising access could be withdrawn with limited notice, regardless of compliance.

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