Google Lifts the Ban on Gambling Ads
In a move which has upset many people, the search giant Google has now lifted their self imposed ban on gambling ads, which means that adverts for online bingo, poker and other games could appear on a Google search result from now on.
It is expected that Google could make something in the region of £100 million from these ads. It will also make it easier for players to compare online bingo sites, but not everyone thinks that it is a great idea.
Grant Whiteside the technical director of SEO specialist Ambergreen said, “This news will spark a colossal scramble for positions by all the big brands and the sector will again become the most competitive area online. The next few days will be an interesting time for market share and costs are likely to quickly spiral out of control.”
He continued: “When paid search was first banned for gambling, analytics was in its infancy. Analytics has moved on big time since then and sanity will now prevail. There will be far more rigour directed towards costs and the market will curb excessive spending.
“It will be the companies that have spent time on sustaining their natural search positions that will emerge with the best positions once they are able to integrate natural with paid search.”
The ban was put into place around sixteen years ago, but Google found themselves under fire from the industry because they could not offer the industry any evidence that Google users wanted the bingo and poker adverts banned.
But now that the government has lifted the restrictions on advertising through the Gambling Act this means that adverts are able to appear on the TV and therefore clears the way for Google too.
Source: The Drum
