Promoting betting is a regulated activity, and the rules that count are those of the country where your reader is, not where you are. In Italy, advertising of gambling for money is banned very broadly under the Dignity Decree (DL 87/2018) — which is why bookmaker affiliation makes sense primarily in foreign markets.
This guide explains the general picture and the rules we require. It is not legal advice: for your specific situation the assessment belongs with a professional in your country.
In short
- The reader's country counts, not yours. A channel in a given language reaches mostly that country's audience, and that is the applicable regime.
- In Italy the ban is broad. The Dignity Decree bans advertising, sponsorship and commercial communication of gambling for money.
- Minors are the uncrossable line, in every market, with no exceptions.
- Promises of winnings are banned almost everywhere and destroy credibility regardless.
- Many European markets do allow promotion within precise limits: that is where affiliation works legitimately.
The Italian picture
The Dignity Decree (decree-law 87/2018, converted with amendments) introduced a very broad ban on advertising, sponsorship and commercial communication relating to games and betting for money, on any medium, digital channels included.
Practical consequences for a tipster with an Italian audience:
- promoting a bookmaker to an Italian audience is generally outside the permitted perimeter, regardless of how the message is phrased;
- responsibility sits with whoever publishes, not only with the operator;
- whether the link is an affiliate link makes no difference: what counts is the promotional nature of the content.
This does not make affiliation useless: it relocates it. A multilingual channel, or one built on foreign markets, operates in an entirely different regime.
Why foreign markets change things
Europe has no single rule. Each country set its own balance between protection and market, and the differences are wide: some markets allow promotion with constraints on timing, content and mandatory warnings; others restrict only certain channels; others apply restrictions as strict as Italy's.
Two things to do, concretely:
- Know where your audience comes from. Without geographic attribution you are promoting blind. JoinAutoBot's per-channel statistics and PremiumCounter's campaign attribution exist for this too.
- Check the destination country's regime before publishing, not after. It is the first thing we ask when activating an affiliation, and the reason we do not activate every brand for everyone.
The three non-negotiable rules of the programme
Anyone joining the TipsterHub affiliate programme commits to three points. They are not formalities: they are the conditions that keep the relationship with operators and with the audience intact.
1. No promotion to minors
The audience must be of legal age in its own country. In practice: no promotion on channels or content aimed at minors, no language, aesthetic or cultural reference that speaks to a teenage audience, no presence on platforms where the audience is predominantly under age.
This is the line that admits no interpretation, in any market.
2. No promises of winnings and no invitations to chase losses
Banned almost everywhere, and counterproductive regardless. Concretely, this means not writing:
- guaranteed win rates or promised ROI;
- "sure methods", "infallible systems", "guaranteed win";
- invitations to keep betting to recover ("get it back tonight", "make up for the bad day");
- portrayals of gambling as a solution to money problems;
- claims that gambling is a source of income.
The last point deserves particular attention: as a tipster your income comes from the channel, not from gambling. Blurring the two in your message is unfair to the reader as well as prohibited.
3. Compliance with the destination country's rules
Including those banning or restricting gambling advertising. If a market does not allow it, you do not promote in that market: there is no creative phrasing that gets around a ban.
Language: what to write and what not to
| Avoid | Why | Alternative |
|---|---|---|
| "Guaranteed win" | False and prohibited | None: you do not say it |
| "Recover your losses" | Encourages the most harmful behaviour | None: you do not say it |
| "Earn from betting" | Presents gambling as income | "If you bet anyway, here's where it's better" |
| "Infallible system" | False | "Here's the reasoning behind the selection" |
| "Last spots, hurry" | Artificial urgency on a risky product | Only real deadlines on real offers |
The rule that sums it up: describe the mechanism, never promise the outcome.
Why it also pays commercially
There is a cynical reading of these rules, held by people who see them as an obstacle. It is wrong from a revenue standpoint too.
A channel promising winnings collects users who leave at the first bad week, and loses them all at once. A channel that explains, shows the bad days and promises nothing builds an audience that stays — and that is the only kind of audience on which recurring income works, which is the most profitable model in the sector.
Regulatory compliance and commercial sustainability, in this case, point the same way.
If gambling becomes a problem
If your relationship with gambling — or that of someone following you — has become problematic, free and confidential support services exist in every country. Signposting them in your channel is not a formality: it is the minimum a serious channel does.
Frequently asked questions
Can I promote bookmakers to an Italian audience?
Generally no: the Dignity Decree very broadly prohibits advertising and commercial communication of games and betting for money, digital channels included. That is why bookmaker affiliation in practice targets foreign markets where promotion is permitted within defined rules.
Do the rules apply to my country or my subscribers'?
To the country of whoever receives the message. Promotional content read in a country that bans gambling advertising falls under that ban, regardless of where the publisher is.
What is the difference between talking about betting and advertising a bookmaker?
Informational or analytical content is one thing; commercial communication promoting an operator, an offer or a sign-up is another. The exact boundary is set by each country's regulation, and it is the point on which professional advice is needed if you are unsure.
What happens if I publish promotional content where it is not allowed?
Consequences vary by country and can affect both the operator and the publisher. In the TipsterHub programme, breaching the destination country's rules leads to suspension of the affiliation, because it puts the relationship with operators at risk for every channel in the network.
Can I promote bookmakers on YouTube or TikTok?
It depends on the audience's country and the platform's own policies, which are often stricter than the law. On platforms with a structurally young audience, caution must be maximal: the rule on minors admits no exceptions.
Do I have to include warnings in my posts?
In several markets that permit promotion, warnings are mandatory, with wording and visibility specified by local regulation. Even where they are not, stating the age limit and pointing to a support service is good practice no serious channel skips.