Google to prohibit prediction market browser extensions by August 1

Google has issued an update to its gambling and games advertisement policy, and in doing so unviled plans to prohibit browser extensions which offer access to prediction markets such as Kalshi and Polymarket by August 1, 2026. 

“We are expanding our language to explicitly include predictive markets as prohibited products,” Google said in a released statement. 

“Extensions that facilitate or enable real-money transactions on predictive outcomes are not allowed. Building and maintaining user trust is paramount. By implementing stricter data collection baselines and clarifying boundaries around prediction markets and AI safety, we ensure that the Chrome Web Store remains an honest, useful and secure platform.”

Tools which provide easier access to prediction markets and offer alerts of contract prices will also be banned by Google, although advertisements which do not lead users to “real-money” contracts will still be allowed on the platform. 

The restriction mirrors Google’s choice to tighten advertisement policies related to social games in November 2025, which prohibited the marketing of all sweepstakes casino gameplay. 

The organization also updated its gambling and games advertisements policy to expand certification requirements to apply to all categories related to the sector, with plans to roll out the new initiative on September 14. 

As part of the update, Google once again stated websites hosted on free subdomains are ineligible for certification, as any domain must be owned and controlled by the certified business. 

On July 14, Brazil’s Ministry of Justice notified Apple and Google after identifying betting applications available through their app stores which allegedly fail to comply with Brazilian law.

The notification includes apps that fail to include effective age verification and operators lacking the necessary federal license.