Social Casino Ads Are Coming Your Way Once Again
Jerard V. • Last updated on 19 December 2024
Social casinos may be in for a little end-of-year surprise courtesy of Google. Since 2013, Google has banned targeted ads from social online casinos due to concerns over potential gambling risks. However, all that is about to change this December, as the restriction will be lifted on December 4. This means good news for the gambling community in general.
So, don’t be surprised when social casino ads pop on your screens. Google finally allowed them.
More About The Ban
In 2013, everyone didn’t fully adopt the idea behind online casinos. Some countries claimed it was illegal due to concerns related to gambling, such as irresponsible gaming, risk of data loss, and, more importantly, the use of virtual currencies (coins and credits).
The latter was a dangerous path everyone avoided, including Google. They didn’t want to be responsible for leading many into scams by allowing the promotion of social casino sites. Besides, gambling-like behaviors in vulnerable demographics were already an issue. Therefore, Google implemented strict policies regarding advertising by banning social casino ads across its platforms, including Google Ads and YouTube.
The Lifting of the Ban
Finally, a decade has passed and many people have widely accepted online gambling with several countries setting up agencies to regulate and monitor activities. The entire scope of digital entertainment changed and now, thousands of casinos are all over the internet. Although there were a few roadblocks to reach here and some problems still lurk around, focusing on the benefit, social interaction has never been the same. Games are now fostering relationships, skill building, and community engagement.
As Google’s nature, it went back to review its policies and introduced new ones in an attempt to lift the ban. Now, with an understanding from the audience, regulatory setups, and local laws, Google brings back social casino ads for Google Ads and YouTube.
In its advertising policy, however, it mentions some specific guidelines that must be met to promote a social casino site, including:
- Ads must only target legal age
- Ads must only be run in countries/regions where social casino ads are not prohibited
- Ads must clearly indicate social casino’s concept – virtual currencies and do not offer real-money prizes. All misleading claims will be subject to removal
- Ads mustn’t target users based on systemic categories, i.e., race, sexual interests, identities, and beliefs.
These guidelines are essential to ensure consumers are protected from imminent risks associated with gambling, as well as to support advertisers in reaching targeted audiences.
Concerns and Future
Gambling addiction is still on the rise, and several concerted efforts have been made to minimize it. However, one primary concern is that with Google’s social casino ads, all efforts may become futile because they encourage gambling, which may lead to an increase in problematic behaviors among individuals. So, while there is an issue, it looks like Google ads may be fueling the cause.
Notwithstanding, the future looks great. If casino operators and advertisers work effectively to promote responsible gaming and partner with regulatory authorities to curb this menace, social casino sites may thrive in a competitive market.
Only time will tell how players and advertisers respond to the situation, but for now, Google ads lifting a ban is good news.
Significance To Advertisers
Social casino ads unlock a competitive online ad market, which, in turn, offers economic impact both to advertisers and the overall gaming industry. For example, with targeted ads, advertisers will reach the right audience and gain more users on their platform. This would strive for innovation. In fact, advertisers could create campaigns that will help re-engage existing players and facilitate growth.
On the other hand, the gaming industry benefits from the influx of newly developed casinos striving to meet the increased demand of users across borders. Ultimately, as the industry grows, there is potential for advancement in technology and systems, providing sustainable and scalable gaming for the future.
Sources:
- “Running Gambling Ads on Google: Policy, Steps & Alternatives” https://www.blockchain-ads.com/post/gambling-ads-google. Blockchain-ads.com. October 18, 2024.
- “Google Ads relaxes personalization rules for social casino game apps” https://searchengineland.com/google-ads-relaxes-personalization-rules-for-social-casino-game-apps-447999/. searchengineland.com. November 5, 2024.
- “Google Ads to Allow Personalised Ads for Social Casino Game Apps” https://web.swipeinsight.app/posts/google-ads-to-allow-personalised-ads-for-social-casino-game-apps-12365. web.swipeinsight.app. November 5, 2024.
