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US Online Gambling Adoption Paves The Way For New Google Ad Policies
By Shane Addinall Nov 12, 2019 IndustryGoogle announces exciting new updates to their paid advertising policies, with a particular focus on expansion into the United States. Learn more about what the future of gambling ads looks like.One of the holy grails of online advertising has slowly been making its way back into the realm of possibility for online gambling operators thanks to the industry-wide move to legislation and regulation – paid gambling ads on Google.
✓In The Dark Ages
Prior to the implementation of UIEGA back in 2006, which delivered a near-death blow to unregulated gambling in the USA and resulted in operators seeking the greener pastures of Australia and Europe, there was a time when Google allowed casino advertising.
The major problem was that without any clear line in the sand from the US government their ad policies were swayed by the loudest headline. No parliamentary issues that week and you could run PPC campaigns with abandon, a hint that someone was looking into online casinos and suddenly Google banned paid advertising to the USA and even gambling-friendly regions such as the United Kingdom.
When PageRank was still an important SEO metric Google even went to so far as to limit online casino focused websites from gaining a rank higher than 6/10 as a way to stifle their search prominence. Dark days indeed for online casino operators, affiliates and players alike.
✓Finally Dawn Has Broken
Thankfully those days are drawing to a close! While the USA has lagged behind other countries in regulating online gambling lawmakers are finally getting ahead of the complexities of state-based law-making, federal regulation and the reality lobbyists who have vested interests in restricting online casino growth.
This has resulted in the adoption of regulated online casinos in New Jersey, Delaware and Pennsylvania. With even more states regulating online poker and online sports betting.
This online gambling renaissance has been the signal Google needed to once again open up their doors, and coffers, to the lucrative business of paid gambling advertising in the region.
✓New Google Ad Policies
While Google has been testing paid advertising for New Jersey, Nevada and West Virginia their recent policy announcement expanded the list of allowable states to include Indiana, Iowa, Montana, Pennsylvania and finally Rhode Island.
In addition to opening up new markets to gambling operators, it also allows them to leverage some of the largest search engines and ad platforms in existence. This includes Google Ads, Google Display Network and even YouTube!
✓No Free Lunches
Just because Google allows advertising to these states does not mean it is going to allow just anyone access to the required tools.
According to a statement by Google, in order to promote gambling-related advertising and websites operators will have to apply for approval:
“Advertisers who wish to promote online gambling content in these regions can find more information and apply for certification after the update on the updated policy page.”
In keeping with the requirements of online gambling in the UK and other regulated markets, Google has commented that paid advertising campaigns in the United States come with the “need to step up their efforts in assisting customers who may be at risk or exhibit reckless gambling behaviour”.
These efforts include prominently displaying logos, links and information for gambling disorder organisations and helplines such as the Council on Compulsive Gambling.
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