UK MPs call for Google
to Ban online gambling Adwords
 February
13 - Although
online gambling is legal
in the United Kingdom, which means it is regulated and subject
to taxation, a recent decision by
Google UK
to once again allow online gambling-related adwords in the
country has been met with opposition by 40 Ministers of
Parliament.
Under the UK's
current gambling laws,
the advertising of online gambling operations - including online
casinos, online poker rooms, online sports betting sites and
online bingo casinos - is allowed in the country across mass
media such as television, radio, billboards and so forth.
A few years before the US government banned online gambling,
Google stopped offering online gambling-related adwords across
all of its sites around the world. However, after the UK proved
to the world that legalising and
regulating online gambling
was a better option than banning it and forcing online operators
and gamblers alike to go 'underground', Google recently took a
decision to re-allow
online gambling adwords
on its UK search engine.
This decision was met with opposition by the Church of England
who called it 'irresponsible'. Said a
Church of England
spokesperson, 'As people face increasing financial uncertainty,
the fantasy of instant wealth could become particularly
attractive and the consequences of losses correspondingly
serious.'
This sentiment has been adopted by 40 MPs. Said Labour MP for
Birmingham Perry Barr, 'We support the Church of England's
position that the actions of Google
risk normalising gambling
in society and thus call on Google to review its policy in line
with its own obligations on corporate social responsibility.'
In response, Google UK spokesperson James Cashmore said,
'Following a thorough policy review last year, we believe that
allowing search ads for gambling in Great Britain is
consistent with local business practices.
We have, however, taken steps to ensure only properly licensed
gambling businesses can advertise on Google, and these ads will
automatically be classified as 'Non-Family Safe'.
'This means they will not show on any search where a user has
applied the
Safe Search filter.
In addition, online gambling advertisers must also display links
to a gambling charity - like GamCare, or Gamble aware - on their
websites,' he said.
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