TikTok reminds sellers and creators that gambling promotion is banned on TikTok Shop

TikTok has reaffirmed that promoting gambling products through TikTok Shop is strictly prohibited. The message was sent to sellers on the e-commerce platform and to content creators more broadly, reminding them that the ban covers any form of gambling.

The policy does not separate legal from illegal gambling. According to the notice, the prohibition extends to betting, lotteries, roulette, and slot and claw machines. It also applies to livestreams and videos, even where the person making the content does not directly interact with viewers. In its message, TikTok told users: "You are prohibited from selling any gambling-related products, services, or paraphernalia on the platform."

The announcement arrives amid wider scrutiny of social media platforms over gambling promotion. Operators, trade bodies and national regulators have been especially concerned about illegal gambling. The UK Gambling Commission and the Netherlands' Kansspelautoriteit have both cited the spread of illegal gambling content and promotions across Meta's platforms, X and TikTok as a key concern. Entain raised concerns about illegal gambling on social media during the World Cup, while Dutch trade body VNLOK has summoned Meta to court over the issue.

The scale of social media explains the industry's interest. Forbes data cited in the report puts worldwide social media users at 5.9 billion in 2026, more than two-thirds of the global population. Facebook has over two billion daily users, Instagram around three billion users overall, and X roughly 550 million monthly users. Gambling adverts can be found on Facebook and X, although regulated advertisers are subject to platform policies, such as Meta's bans on gambling advertising in certain countries in line with local rules.

TikTok is described as a harder environment for gambling advertising, partly because its audience skews towards teenagers and young adults. Some operators still maintain a presence. Paddy Power launched a TikTok account last year, but it does not run conventional ads and instead publishes content marketing such as sketches, skits and stunts.

The report notes that the regulated industry and its regulators may question whether the platform's rules will meaningfully affect unregulated actors that disregard them.