X has updated its paid-promotion rules to allow sponsored content in cryptocurrency and gambling again, reversing restrictions that had been in place since June 2024 and reopening a major acquisition channel for both industries.
At the same time, the platform tightened the prohibited industries list for creator partnerships, adding categories like pharmaceuticals/medicines, tobacco, weapons, and weight-loss products signaling a shift toward stricter controls on health and safety-related promotions.
Paid Partnership labeling is now mandatory for creators
X is also formalizing how influencer ads must be disclosed: sponsored posts published as organic content must use the platform’s visible “Paid Partnership” label via the content disclosure tools, aligning the process with common native disclosure systems on other major social apps.
Creators can apply the disclosure during posting and, in many cases, add it after posting through the post menu reducing reliance on informal hashtag disclosures and making sponsorship signals harder to miss in the feed.
Enforcement, ad-channel split, and regional exceptions
X positions paid partnerships as distinct from its formal ads business, meaning what’s restricted for influencer-style promotions may still be eligible under X Ads (and vice versa), depending on policy and targeting requirements.
On enforcement, X says “violations can lead to post removal and temporary posting limits, with repeat offenses escalating up to account suspension”. Reporting mechanisms and enforcement criteria are now explicitly spelled out in policy.
Finally, brands should note that allowed is not universal: X’s own country-specific rules keep financial products (including crypto) and gambling restricted for paid partnerships in regions such as the EU, the UK, and Australia so campaign eligibility will still depend on where the creator and audience are located.
Source: https://www.igamingtoday.com/x-flips-the-script-crypto-gambling-is-back-but-the-rules-have-changed/
