Google UK to Display Ads from Online Casinos

Back in 2004, both Google and Yahoo! began to refuse advertising from online casinos, citing legal problems in the USA.  While Yahoo! limited this new policy to their US site, Google extended it across their whole network.

Indeed, the search giant went even further than US regulations required, and stopped showing ads for games of chance where no money changes hands and most online fan sites with poker forums and tutorials.

All that is set to change from today, however, in the UK at least, where Google is to experiment with showing ads from online casinos once again.

Such websites are perfectly legal in Great Britain, and Google UK claims that it "hopes this will enhance the search experience for users and help advertisers connect with interested consumers. "

Nevertheless, the decision has not been without controversy, notably from religious leaders.

Secular groups too are unhappy, and gambling support charity GamCare, who say they have seen an extra 7 000 people addicted to gambling coming to them for help this year are unimpressed.

Google's response is that users will still be able to filter out such content, should they choose to do so.

"Gambling ads will automatically be classified as Non-Family Safe," commented their spokesman, "which means they will not show on any search where the user has applied the Safe Search filter."