By Tatiana Martins, journalist at G&M News.
For years, third-party cookies have been a cornerstone of digital advertising. By enabling marketers to track user behavior across the web, these tiny text files allowed granular audience targeting and precise measurement of advertising performance. For the iGaming and broader gambling sector, where acquisition costs are high and conversion margins slim, this data has been invaluable.
However, the era of unrestrained third-party tracking is changing fast. Globally, regulators, privacy advocates and tech platforms are reshaping the digital data ecosystem. The question now is not whether the industry must adapt, but how, and how fast.
Are third-party cookies actually dead yet?
Contrary to some predictions, third-party cookies have not completely disappeared from the Internet, but their future is uncertain and constrained. Major web browsers like Apple’s Safari and Mozilla’s Firefox already block third-party cookies by default. That trend was expected to culminate in Google Chrome, the world’s dominant browser, largely phasing out support by 2025.
In April 2025, Google publicly reversed its longstanding plan to remove third-party cookies from Chrome by default. Instead, the company announced it would keep third-party cookies available, letting users decide their privacy settings rather than enforcing a total ban.
This shift is notable: while privacy initiatives like Google’s Privacy Sandbox aimed to introduce alternatives to cookie-based tracking, regulatory pressures, especially from antitrust authorities, slowed and ultimately halted those efforts.
Current reality in early 2026 is that:
- Third-party cookies still exist and are not universally gone yet.
- Their utility is eroding as browsers implement stricter privacy controls.
- The long-term trajectory of the web is clearly towards more privacy and less cross-site tracking.
Why This Matters for Gambling Operators
- Diminished targeting precision
Third-party cookies allow advertisers to track users across multiple websites, build profiles, and tailor ads accordingly. Without reliable cross-site identifiers, that level of behavioral targeting becomes far harder or more expensive.
In the iGaming world, operators rely on highly targeted acquisition campaigns, user segmentation for re-engagement, and retargeting users who showed interest but haven’t converted. Loss of third-party tracking reduces visibility in user journeys, making these tactics less effective.
- Challenges with measurement and attribution
Without cookies tracking ad exposure across sites, measuring whether a campaign drives a registration or deposit becomes murkier. Marketers cannot easily determine which touchpoints influenced conversion, complicating optimization and budgeting.
- Privacy regulation and compliance risks
The gambling industry faces an additional regulatory headwind: privacy laws like GDPR (EU) and other data protection regimes require explicit informed consent for tracking and sharing user data. Investigative reports show that many gambling sites were illegally sharing user data, even before cookie phase-outs, highlighting compliance vulnerabilities. For example, major operators were found passing user behavior to Meta via tracking tools without consent, prompting regulatory scrutiny and potential penalties.
How operators can thrive in a post-cookie world
While third-party data will fade, survival is not only possible but already happening. Leading gambling operators are adapting with a set of emerging best practices:
- First-party data becomes king
First-party data, information users provide directly like registration, deposit behavior, in-app actions, is both privacy compliant and highly valuable. Operators that build rich first-party datasets gain an edge in personalization and retention.
- Contextual advertising
Rather than relying on cookies, contextual targeting places ads based on content relevance rather than user identity. For gambling brands, this means showing promotions on sports sites around match summaries, not chasing individuals across the web.
- Privacy-first identity solutions
Alternative identity systems, such as Unified IDs, hashed email matchups, and privacy-safe APIs being explored by ad tech vendors, can help fill gaps left by cookies while respecting user consent.
- Strengthened compliance and consent infrastructure
Ensuring transparent, consent-driven data practices is both legally necessary and a competitive differentiator. Operators that fail here risk fines and reputational damage.
The future is cookieless, but not data-less
The narrative of a “cookieless apocalypse” is outdated. Browsers haven’t fully removed third-party cookies yet, but the forces behind privacy, regulation and evolving technology make their decline a strategic reality.
For the gambling industry, the path forward will increasingly rely on first-party data ecosystems, privacy-centric marketing innovations, and smarter measurement tools. Those who adapt early will not just survive, but lead in a new era where trust, transparency, and direct relationships with players matter more than ever.