Facebook Stops Accepting Casino Ads

Facebook has recently announced a change to its advertising policy and has specifically rejected the allowance of any ads for online casinos.

The move, one of the many the company is making as it seeks to grow larger and control the content on the site better, is in contrast to the content of many games that are played on the site, some of which are casino-like in their play. But all are free.
Facebook isn’t just limiting casino ads. It’s prohibiting all ads that promote online gambling in any form, so this new rule also affects ads for sports books, poker rooms, and bingo sites as well.

Also prohibited are ads for another 20 or so products. These include things like firearms, pyramid schemes, spy cameras, tobacco, uncertified pharmaceuticals, and ads that include nudity.

In a press release, Facebook heads note that the company’s focus is on protecting the online community; one executive noted that Bing was giving underage Facebook users access to x-rated content. To ensure that doesn’t continue happening, Facebook made the decision to block advertising of all adult entertainment.

Facebook was founded in 2003 by a sophomore at Harvard. It was one of the first social networking sites and is commonly used by a range of people from ages 13 and up who “friend” their co-workers, former classmates and families.