X Updates Policy to Block Gambling Partnerships

X has revised its Paid Partnerships policy to prohibit gambling-related promotions through paid collaborations, marking a significant change for betting operators and affiliates active on the platform. The update removes gambling from the list of industries allowed to promote products through organic brand partnerships.

The platform, owned by Elon Musk, now bars gambling companies from using influencers, brand ambassadors or affiliate arrangements to market their services via paid partnership posts. The restriction applies even when creators label content as an advertisement or promotional post, as required under X’s rules for permitted industries.

What the Policy Covers

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.” The definition extends to content that includes gifted products, monetary or in-kind payments, affiliate commissions through links or discount codes, and formal commercial agreements such as ambassadorships.

Gambling-related businesses must now either seek an exception through an internal sales representative or shift to traditional advertising routes that comply with X’s separate advertising standards. Without approval, violators may face content removal or account limitations. The company states that repeat breaches could lead to account suspension.

The prohibition does not affect conventional advertisements purchased through X’s advertising platform, which operates under distinct policies. However, it significantly alters how operators and creators structure promotional activity that relies on organic-style endorsements.

The revised policy also lists additional barred categories, including adult products, alcohol, contraceptives, dating services, drugs, financial products and services, geopolitical or political content used commercially, health supplements, pharmaceuticals, tobacco, weapons and weight loss products.

Industry Reaction and Broader Context

The change arrives amid heightened scrutiny of gambling marketing practices. A recent study from the University of Sheffield suggested that existing advertising controls may fall short, citing findings that television advertisements influenced betting behaviour during the 2022 FIFA World Cup. With another World Cup approaching, researchers called on regulators to reconsider current oversight.

At the same time, the British Betting and Gaming Council published research indicating that gambling marketing in the UK has declined, attributing the trend to regulatory pressures.

Social media controversies have added pressure. In late 2025, Polymarket faced backlash after an unofficial account posted content directed at users in India, Nigeria and Turkey using alleged racist language. The company’s chief legal officer responded on X, taking “full responsibility” and calling the post “unacceptable.”

A competitor, Kalshi, also drew criticism when affiliated X accounts shared antisemitic material. Kalshi revoked the affiliate status of those accounts and condemned the posts.

X entered a partnership with Polymarket in June 2025, naming it the platform’s official prediction market partner and enabling data sharing and integration with Grok AI. Weeks later, Polymarket acquired QCEX, clearing the way for its return to the US market.

How prediction markets fit within X’s paid partnership ban remains unclear. They do not appear explicitly under the gambling classification, though they may fall within the prohibited financial products category.

Source:

"Revised Partnerships Policy Halts Paid Gambling Promotion on X", sccgmanagement.com, February 18 2026