Google How-To: Hide gambling and alcohol ads on YouTube

In our modern world filled with online stores, subscription services, and the chance to shop at our fingertips, ads are the ultimate way to reach new customers.

Unfortunately, ads can do more harm than good at times. Whether that’s an ad for pet toys after you’ve just lost your dog or ads for alcohol popping up while your kid watches videos online, having control is key.

A recent blog post by Google announced that the company would be placing more control in the hands of YouTube’s viewers.

More control – Fewer ads

A simple optimisation of Google’s Ad Settings will allow users to change how often they see ads relating to gambling and alcohol. For those looking to cut down on gambling or for anyone who is a recovering alcoholic, these settings could make a huge difference.

Currently only available to those in the US, the blog post shares how important it is for users to decide what they see and when.

“We’ve long had features like Mute this ad, where people can indicate which ads they’d rather not see. These controls live alongside our policies which determine when and where gambling and alcohol ads can be shown per local laws (e.g. age restrictions).

This new feature is an extra step, putting [the] choice in the user’s hands and enabling you to further control your ad experience.”

Thankfully, adjusting these settings is easy! We’ve compiled a quick step-by-step guide to help you make the changes once they roll out to the rest of the world.

How to hide ads on YouTube

Step 1 – Start by visiting the Ads Settings page and turn on Ad Personalization. You’ll see a pop up that explains what turning on Ad Personalization means. You’ll need to click Turn On and then Got It.

Step 2 – Scroll down to Ad categories on YouTube and select See fewer on Alcohol and Gambling.

Once you’ve selected See fewer, a pop up will appear with some information about what this means. Once you’re ready, click Continue.

It should be noted that the categories will now say “We’ll try not to show ads from this category”. This means you may still get an ad in one of these categories from time to time as Google optimises the settings in the future.

In those 2 simple steps, you’ve customized your ad experience and made viewing YouTube videos just a little more responsible.

If you’d like to learn more about responsible online gambling, take a look at our guide.