Search engine colossus Google has decided it will allow online casino advertising by operators based in the four US states that currently permit intrastate online gambling.
This week, Google updated its ‘gambling and games policy’ to “allow state-licensed online casinos in Delaware, Nevada, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.” Technically speaking, Nevada doesn’t allow online casino gambling, only sports betting and poker, so we’re going to assume that Google’s new ‘online casino’ policy includes poker.
Google’s new policy will permit online casino operators in these states to run ads via Google Ads, Google Display Network, YouTube and AdMob, but Google Ad Manager remains off limits.
The updated policy has yet to take effect, but Google promised to update the market when this pledge becomes a reality. (Previous reports suggested a start date of Q1 2020.) In the meantime, online casino advertisers will need to apply for certification before their slots and table game promos will be granted approval.
Google’s updated policy will also incorporate the search engine’s ‘US Sports Betting beta’ aka the process it began in June of recognizing the growing spread of legal wagering in the wake of the 2018 Supreme Court ruling that struck down the federal betting prohibition.
The beta started with New Jersey, then was expanded to Nevada and West Virginia, and five more states – Indiana, Iowa, Montana, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island – were invited to the party in October.
Online casino and betting operators in US states where such activity is permitted have long lamented their inability to promote their products with the same vigor as the host of internationally licensed gambling sites who continue to serve customers in these states. Google appears to be starting to level this promotional playing field, although this still won’t fix the locally licensed operators’ problems of (a) weaker product selection, and (b) less inviting betting odds. “Hey, Google… how do you spell ‘Pinnacle?’”
