Google Ads is opening a new paid-search lane in Colombia. Starting October 21, online lottery ads can run from operators authorized by the Consejo Nacional de Juegos de Suerte y Azar, Colombia’s council for games of luck and chance.
The notice landed October 5 in Google’s Advertising Policies Help Center change log. That gives operators 16 days before the policy goes live.
What actually changes
Colombia’s existing online gambling row already covers seven products: slots, roulette, blackjack, baccarat, bingo, poker and sports betting. The update adds lotteries, bringing the list to eight.
The requirement cell is what matters. Operators must be registered with Coljuegos and hold a valid licence. Lottery operators must also provide authorization from the CNJSA. Google’s notice says advertisers must apply for certification separately.
- Slot and casino operators keep the existing Coljuegos registration and licence route.
- Lottery operators add CNJSA authorization to the file.
- Everyone still passes Google’s own certification review.
Two gatekeepers, one open question
Read literally, the online gambling row applies the Coljuegos registration sentence to every operator, then adds CNJSA authorization for lotteries. A looser reading says CNJSA authorization is a separate, lottery-specific route.
The notice does not settle it. Google’s AI-generated summary says “all lottery operators must provide their specific authorization and apply for certification to run these ads” and does not mention Coljuegos registration. The final policy page due October 21 may clarify.
Why certification timing is the real risk
The authorization is a prerequisite, not a substitute for Google certification. Agencies should treat this as a dual-gate path: clear the Colombian regulator, then clear Google.
When Google opened lottery courier ads in Puerto Rico, reviews took five to seven business days, longer in busy periods. Add in Google’s August 2026 rule for one application per country and landing page disclosures, and a launch on October 21 is not automatic.
Gambling violations are classified as egregious, so running before the certificate is issued or outside the CNJSA authorization can mean immediate account suspension.
What to do now
Lottery operators should prepare the CNJSA document, start the Google certification application, and audit landing pages for the required age warning, addiction resources, terms, licence number and privacy data-controller footer. Agencies should build review time into campaign plans and avoid promising a day-one Search launch unless the certificate is already in motion.
Affiliates and aggregators should not expect a pass: the change is tied to entities authorized by the CNJSA, not comparison or reseller sites.
Source: PPC Land
