Why Instagram Bans Affiliate Accounts: Expert Opinions

Meta spares no one. That’s exactly how we should start this article, since we’re discussing some less pleasant issues that many people in the industry have recently faced. 

Instagram is currently banning accounts en masse that are in any way related to gambling. We’re sure you’ve noticed this… So we decided to talk to some experts about this and find out why this is happening and how to deal with it.

Let’s not waste any time — let’s dive right in!

Are only gambling accounts being banned, or could anyone become a victim?

The thing is, Instagram has gotten stricter. The updated algorithms are designed to combat spam, bots, plagiarism, and so on. So it’s not just casino-related accounts that are being blocked, but also those that, in the moderator’s opinion, violate community guidelines or might in any way be related to the issues listed above — things the platform’s algorithms are fighting so fiercely against.

“The current issue of Facebook and Instagram accounts related to gambling being blocked is truly widespread in the gambling sector and beyond. Our agency primarily works with fully legitimate businesses, as well as those selling knock off brands, but we still encounter account suspensions very frequently.

It’s not just online casinos or brands that are at risk, but also partners, review sites, influencers, and pages that even indirectly mention gambling—not to mention Facebook accounts and ad managers themselves.

The reason is that Meta classifies gambling as a regulated and high-risk category. Advertising such products requires permits, licenses, compliance with local laws, and age restrictions. But in practice, the algorithms often react much more broadly: to keywords, links, ad creatives, brand mentions, domains, or an account’s connections to other blocked profiles.

It’s difficult to completely avoid the risk, but it can be mitigated: avoid using aggressive gambling triggers, don’t promise winnings or “easy money,” work with licensed offers, clean domains, stable access, and a transparent account structure,” says Yevgeniy Kovalenko, Founder of Deep Traffic Agency

So is there a magic solution to this problem?

“Right now, this is a widespread issue in the industry; many accounts that are even remotely connected to gambling are being blocked. One of our projects was blocked this way, too. We tried to find a solution and reached out to people who specialize in unblocking accounts. But it didn’t work out; it was blocked permanently. So I’m not really sure how to solve this. The only thing I’ve heard is that if you submit Ukrainian or Russian documents during verification, the chance of being rejected is even higher,” — NDA

If you work in the gambling industry and haven’t been banned yet, we recommend taking a closer look at presenting your content in a more subtle way. There’s no guarantee this will 100% save you from being blocked, but it can’t hurt as a preventive measure. 

Likewise, you shouldn’t mess around with fake followers or other sneaky methods to boost your audience right now. The platform is particularly good at spotting such users and, as we’ve said before, doesn’t go easy on them… 😁

Overall, there’s hope that this situation will ease over time, and we’ll be able to breathe a little easier. Still, don’t forget the importance of maintaining a presence on multiple platforms simultaneously. Right now, relying on just one social network works more against you than for you, and on top of that, it creates the risk of losing everything at any moment. That’s why this is currently one of the key rules of modern marketing.

“In this niche, it’s not a single specific ‘life hack’ that works best, but a systematic approach: auditing content, creatives, domains, admins, and the connections between accounts. At the same time, Facebook and Instagram remain an unstable channel for gambling and, more generally, for advertising that violates or pushes the boundaries of Meta’s policies, so a backup infrastructure is MANDATORY.” — Yevgeniy Kovalenko, Founder of Deep Traffic Agency

In summary 

Meta no longer plays by the old rules. Conditions for gambling have never been ideal here, but now the situation has become more complicated.

What can be done about this? Unfortunately, there is no perfect formula that will provide 100% protection against blocks. However, you can always take at least a few steps toward that goal.