The largest provider of Internet search services on a global scale, Google Inc., is keeping up to date with the rapid growth registered in the sports betting sector. In an update to its gambling and games policy, the company revealed that it is to increase the number of countries where it will allow online gambling advertisements. Google will also permit companies to run sports betting ads in a few more US states.
Lately, Google has been focused on bringing some changes in its former anti-gambling policies. Two years ago, it started allowing real-money gambling applications to be offered in its Google Play Store in several countries around the globe only. In August 2019, Google issued permission for advertising daily fantasy sports (DFS) in US states where there are licensed gambling companies that are allowed to offer such services.
Yesterday, the company wrote in an update of its gambling and games policy that as of October 2019, it would allow online gambling ads to be distributed in Kenya, Nigeria and Colombia. Google, however, highlighted the fact that such permission would be given only to operators that are currently licensed by the three countries’ gambling regulatory bodies. This means that in Kenya, only companies that have their licenses issued by the Betting Control Board would be able to release online gambling ads. The competent gambling licensing body is the National Lottery Regulatory Commission, while Coljuegos is the gambling regulator that issues such licenses on the territory of Colombia.
The addition of Kenya to the list of countries where online gambling advertising on Google is permitted may be found in contradiction to the current negative attitude which the Government is having toward gambling. As a matter of fact, the Kenyan Government has been trying to pass stringent regulations which would severely limit the ability of gambling operators to promote their services and products to local residents. A full ban on social media marketing for gambling operators has also been on the agenda.
Five US States Join Google “Limited Beta” Program for Online Sports Betting Ads
As mentioned above, under the update of Google’s gambling and games policy, sports betting advertising would be allowed in a number of US states. As the Internet search services provider revealed, ads for sports betting services would be now allowed in the states of Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Montana, Iowa and Indiana.
The five aforementioned states, however, would join New Jersey, Nevada and West Virginia, as sports betting advertising there would be permitted only as part of the “limited beta” program which was launched by Google this June as part of the company’s efforts to keep pace with the rapid spread of legal sports betting services following the 2018 US Supreme Court ruling that lifted the federal ban on this form of gambling.
According to Google policy, when applying for the “limited beta” program, advertisers would be required to provide a copy of their license in each of the states listed above. Apart from that, companies that take part in the beta program must not target users below 21 years of age. As part of the program, the participants will only become eligible to promote online sports betting, and no other forms of online gambling, including DFS and online casinos.
Operators who get state sports betting licenses will be permitted to engage in online sports betting promotional activity via Google Display Network, Google Ads, AdMob and YouTube. They, however, would not be able to promote online sports betting services through Google Ad Manager.
