Online gambling companies are quite pleased
After four years of a self-imposed prohibition, search engine Google has decided to lift the ban on poker and gambling advertisements in the United Kingdom. In spite of this decision, only a few selected advertisers will be allowed to target residents of England, particularly those based in the countries within the European Economic Area and registered with the UK Gambling Commission.
Online gambling companies are quite pleased about the announcement made by Google, especially since the British government decided to change the Gambling Act and remove the prohibition to show gambling advertising on television. Google’s decision means gaming ads will be displayed for users across Great Britain, except in Northern Ireland.
‘We rely a lot on advertising as our shop window,’ Clive Hawkswood, chief executive of the Remote Gambling Association commented. ‘Our products are online so the marketing will be using Google a fair bit.’ According to experts, the ban lift could represent as much as £100 million in revenues for Google and the members of the industry.
‘Over the last few months we've been reviewing our gambling advertising policy in Great Britain to ensure it is as consistent as possible with local business practices,’ James Cashmore, Industry Leader for Entertainment and Media for Google UK said. ‘Following the review, we've decided to amend our policy to allow text ads to appear against search queries related to gambling in Great Britain.’