Published on: February 19, 2026, at 11:42h.
Updated on: February 19, 2026, at 11:42h.
- X has prohibited gambling firms from compensating users to endorse their brands or services.
- X permits gambling-related advertisements, but these must be pre-approved prior to launch.
The surge of celebrity-led promotions for sweepstakes casinos and online sports betting is set to diminish, particularly on the X platform.
Recently, X, under the ownership of Elon Musk’s xAI, revised its Paid Partnerships Policy to exclude all forms of gambling products and services.
X characterizes paid partnerships as when a third-party brand compensates a user—such as an influencer or content creator—to showcase their offerings.
This change places gambling products, which include lotteries, social casinos, and sports betting, among the Prohibited Industries. This classification aligns gambling with other banned categories such as sexual services, alcohol, drugs, dating services, tobacco, weapons, and weight loss products.
Gambling Advertisements Remain Allowed
It’s important to highlight that while X will not allow figures like Drake to endorse online gambling on their platform, casinos and other gambling entities can still promote their services. The key distinction is that they can no longer incentivize X users to manage these advertisements.
Gambling remains classified as Restricted Content within X’s Advertising Policies, necessitating that all gambling-related ads acquire preauthorization from X before the campaigns are activated.
This policy is applicable to online casinos, physical casinos, sports betting, fantasy sports, lotteries, and platforms providing gambling tips or strategies. A Las Vegas casino can advertise its facilities without preauthorization, provided the emphasis is placed on its hotel or other non-gaming services.
X’s advertising revenue in the U.S. for 2025 was projected to be around $1.31 billion, with total global revenues nearing $2.3 billion. The platform is reportedly aiming to attract small to medium-sized business advertisements, an area where it has historically faced challenges.
Do Celebrity Endorsements Deliver?
Recently, Casino.org noted that having celebrities endorse gambling products might not yield favorable outcomes for gambling businesses. A study by YouGov indicated that nearly half of those surveyed felt that celebrity marketing made a casino or sportsbook appear “less authentic.”
“While celebrity endorsements can certainly help gambling brands differentiate themselves, especially among active gamblers, they may not invariably result in a shift in brand perception or consumer behavior. Brands should prioritize partnerships with celebrities who possess a direct connection to sports or gambling for maintaining credibility and effectiveness in their messaging,” the YouGov report concluded.
Musk’s Acquisition
Elon Musk acquired X, previously Twitter, in a transaction revealed on April 14, 2022, which was finalized on October 27 of the same year.
Musk was the largest shareholder of Twitter when he initiated his $44 billion acquisition of the platform, stating that his goal was to guarantee free speech and establish an enduring “digital town square.”
“The bird is freed,” Musk stated after closing the deal, alluding to the censorship of conservative viewpoints by previous management.