Online Gambling Google Ad Restrictions

Google is good at keeping us all informed and it is doing very well in the advertizing department too. Google ads are everywhere or so one may think but it is not true when it comes to promoting online gambling. Google policy states that advertising for the promotion of online gambling websites is not permitted to target locations outside Great Britain (England, Scotland, and Wales), Italy, Austria, Belgium, Australia (limited to wagering & sports betting), and Republic of Ireland. Ads for online gambling will not be displayed in other countries except those for state licensed entities in Denmark, Finland, France, Norway, Portugal, Spain, New Zealand, and Sweden. Google's definition of online gambling includes, but is not limited to, the following, sports books and sports betting lotteries, bingo, poker, sites that provide tips, odds, and handicapping, software facilitating online casinos and gambling, gambling tutoring online, gambling-related eBooks, 'play for fun' gambling or casino games of skill, including sites where the primary purpose is 'play for fun' gambling, or affiliate sites with the primary purpose of driving traffic to online gambling sites.

That doesn't leave much room for any confusion as far as promotion of the industry. Google must see this huge potential and be spending a significant amount of money trying to penetrate these markets. Advertizing for online gambling has grown massively but within certain limitations. Even if an operator has a licence from a country within the European Economic Area (EEA) other than lets say Italy, it still is not sufficient authorization for showing online gambling ads in Italy. In Australia for example Google AdWords allows online wagering and sports betting advertisements to target Australia as long as the advertiser is a licenced operator registered with an appropriate Australian State or Territory and provides a valid licence. For online betting operators the list of hoops a company must go through to get the word out on Google that your in business is long and complicated. It is easy for companies registered in the jurisdictions of Great Britain (England, Scotland, Wales), Alderney, Isle of Man, Gibraltar, Malta, or Antigua and Barbuda. Google says it may add to the list in the future, most gambling operators think that future is very near.