New X Policy Blocks Betting Affiliates and Influencer Deals

Key Points

• X now bans gambling in organic Paid Partnerships.
• Disclosing affiliate or ambassador betting deals may violate the ban, but not disclosing breaks transparency rules.
• Affiliates, influencers, and crypto casinos may need ads or other platforms; violations risk content removal or suspension.

X Announces Gambling Ban in Updated Paid Partnerships Policy

X has modified its Paid Partnerships policy to specifically exclude gambling from permitted industries for organic commercial collaborations on its platform. These changes affect the monetisation strategies available to affiliates, influencers, and gambling-focused brands operating within the social network. The revised policy establishes clear parameters for identifying Paid Partnerships across the platform. Posts qualify when third-party brands provide creators with any form of compensation or incentive for content creation. This includes affiliate commission structures, revenue-sharing partnerships, discount and referral code distribution, brand ambassadorship deals, direct fee payments, and gifted items or experiences from sponsors.

Transparency requirements mandate that all qualifying posts feature prominent disclosure language, specifically “Ad” or “Promoted Content” labels. The policy simultaneously designates gambling products and services as ineligible for these partnership arrangements, covering sports betting operations, lottery systems, social casino platforms, and all related gambling activities within this restriction.

X Separates Organic Partnerships from X Ads Rules

The guidelines differentiate between organic Paid Partnerships and paid advertising formats controlled by distinct X Ads policies. Commission-based agreements between gambling affiliates and operators typically result in content featuring affiliate links or promotional codes. The platform’s Paid Partnership definition encompasses this type of content, which creates implementation difficulties. These requirements produce a compliance contradiction for affected users. Mandatory disclosure might contravene the gambling Paid Partnership ban, but omitting disclosure infringes transparency standards. Under the updated policy, monetised organic gambling promotion faces inherent structural restrictions and operational limits.

Publishers who concentrate on betting tips, odds comparisons, or commission-based sportsbook links must reconsider their content strategy. The new framework might classify their activities as Paid Partnerships requiring compliance. Content creators and influencers engaged in compensated gambling brand promotion through various payment structures or ambassador programmes remain subject to these provisions.

When gambling-related Paid Partnerships face prohibition, these collaborations must shift to regulated advertising channels or different platforms. Users still carry responsibility for following advertising and disclosure laws within their jurisdictions. The regulations affect each region differently. Crypto casinos have long treated the platform as their main distribution channel for reaching audiences. These operators depend on affiliate codes, revenue share links, influencer campaigns, and ambassador agreements. Such arrangements match the Paid Partnership definition precisely. Consistent enforcement of the updated rules would transform how crypto gambling operators design their social media promotion strategies. The changes particularly impact cases where monetisation connects directly to betting activity.

X Outlines Penalties for Paid Partnership Breaches

Breaches of the Paid Partnerships policy trigger various penalties including content removal and temporary restrictions. Read-only limitations or account suspension may follow repeated violations. The gambling sector’s social media strategies will change based on how the platform enforces these rules. Scale, extent, and consistency of enforcement determine the practical impact on operators. Affiliates, influencers, and operators must consider whether their monetised content meets the Paid Partnership definition. Compliance with updated restrictions becomes essential for continued platform presence. Platforms keep formalising their commercial content rules across the industry. Social media strategy in the gambling sector now demands both marketing expertise and compliance review to navigate these changes.