YouTube to Restrict Promotion and Advertising of Skin-Gambling Websites Starting November 17

Beginning November 17, 2025, YouTube will enforce new rules targeting content and advertising related to skin gambling. The restrictions will primarily affect videos and promotions featuring skin* betting and giveaways from Counter-Strike 2 and other games hosted on third-party websites.

In its updated Community Guidelines, YouTube specifies that any content directing users to sites or apps offering gambling with in-game items, NFTs (non-fungible tokens), or other digital assets that can be exchanged for real money will now fall under the new restrictions.

Videos violating these policies may face removal or age restrictions, depending on the severity of the infraction.

Only platforms certified by Google—those officially approved for Google Ads and compliant with local gambling laws—will be exempt from the ban.

This marks the first time YouTube has explicitly extended its policies to skin gambling, placing gambling with in-game assets under the same rules that apply to traditional forms of gambling.

The skin market is particularly active within the Counter-Strike 2 ecosystem, where the value of individual items can reach tens of thousands of dollars. These digital assets are frequently used on external sites in roulette, crash games, and match betting as a form of virtual currency.

Twitch implemented similar restrictions in 2023, banning sponsorships and advertising from skin-gambling sites. However, enforcement remained inconsistent, with many streamers continuing to collaborate with such platforms through indirect arrangements.

* Skins are cosmetic items that change the appearance of weapons or gear without affecting gameplay but hold real-world market value.