X (Twitter) has updated its paid partnerships policy to prohibit gambling promotions from influencer collaborations or paid-for content.
On 18 February, Elon Musk’s social media company notified users, businesses and advertisers that gambling products and services are no longer eligible for promotion under its paid partnership rules.
“X defines paid partnerships as the involvement of a third-party brand providing compensation or incentives to a user, such as an influencer or content creator, to promote their product or service,” it wrote.
The ban on gambling promotions applies to all types of ‘compensated content arrangements’, including influencer endorsements, affiliate agreements, brand ambassador deals and ‘free gifts’ as promotional activity.
Gambling joins the restricted index
X views gambling products and services as lotteries, social casinos, sports betting and other wagering-related services, which now index explicitly as ineligible for paid partnership promotion.
The prohibition places gambling alongside other restricted sectors, including: Financial products and crypto services, alcohol and tobacco, pharmaceuticals and health supplements, political and geo-political campaigns and adult content
X views paid partnerships as distinct from its standard advertising campaigns on its platform. The update makes it clear that gambling content cannot be promoted through any paid promotion or arrangement with influencers and their related accounts.
Disclosure above all else
The platform reiterated its standard advertising terms that all paid partnership posts must include “clear and conspicuous” disclosure of commercial intent on display, using labels such as “ad” or “promoted content” for audiences
Creators remain responsible for ensuring compliance with applicable local advertising and X endorsement policies..
X’s policy framework also notes that content prohibited under Paid Partnerships may still be permissible under X Ads, subject to its separate advertising policies.
As noted: “Our policies for paid partnerships are distinct from our advertising policies. Content prohibited under paid partnerships may be permissible in X ads. If you are interested in promoting X ads, please refer to our X advertising policies.”
X responds to a global tightening
The decision represents another tightening of social media acquisition channels for licensed gambling operators and media partners particularly within regulated markets where influencer marketing is under scrutiny or has been banned outright.
In Europe a total ban on influencer promotions of gambling has been in effect in the Netherlands, Belgium, Poland and Italy, with Romania likely to join the pack in the coming months.
In the UK, Influencers can promote gambling products, but campaigns must comply with the CAP advertising rules on the promotion of gambling content and age gating of audiences
Developments In France, see the ANJ confirm that it will review social media marketing rules, with specific focus on influencer code as part of the regulator’s forthcoming review of gambling advertising, likely to be undertake post FIFA World Cup 2026.
Meanwhile in Brazil, the use of influencer, celebrity and athlete promotions has been banned since the inception of the Brazil Bets regime on 1 January 2025, enacted as a principal market protections for youth and vulnerable audiences.
Exceptions are possible but unclear
X stated that exemptions to its paid partnerships policy may be considered on a case-by-case basis via internal sales teams. Yet It did not clarify whether gambling operators would qualify for such review.
In 2026, scrutiny intensifies on social media and big tech to improve their guardrails on content moderation, abuse and protections of youth audiences. Concerns have led to the outright ban of social media in Australia, a decision that was quickly followed by the government of Spain and is under assessment by other countries, including Great Britain
Despite tightening their content and monetisation policies, neither YouTube (Google) nor Twitch (Amazon) has moved to impose an outright ban on influencer-led or paid-for gambling promotion.
This story was first published on Affiliate Leaders’ sister title, SBC News.
