With the increasing fascination for sports, there is also a constant growth of ads in the sports sector. The gambling advertising sector is also growing because most of the countries are removing bans from them. Every country has its ways and rules to regulate the frequency and nature of such ads that promote sports gambling. However, when it comes to Google Ads policy, it is still trying to find a balance to improve its users’ experiences.
Like many other sectors, Google Ads policy is playing its role in controlling the growth of illegal ads. Sports gambling is something that is considered to be illegal. If any marketer thinks that he won’t get caught if he advertises illegal stuff, he might be fooling himself. Advertising illegal content is one of the top reasons why Google Ad is shutting down so many accounts nowadays. Due to the strict policy of Google Ad, it is constantly looking for ads with sensitive content.
At the same time, Google is aware of the power that gambling and gaming institutions are getting with every passing day. Since they want to make the best use of digital marketing opportunities to target their audience, Google has set a few strict requirements for them which they have to fulfill to advertise gambling through Google ads.
Here are the restrictions by the Google ad’s policy mentioned.
Certification
This is a bare minimum requirement of having certification from Google to advertise gambling on its platform. It is just a way to verify that anyone who is using digital marketing for their benefit also knows how to advertise properly. If a marketer belongs to the gambling industry and he doesn’t have the Google certification, he won’t be considered an online advertising expert. All we have to do to get the certification is to complete the application process by taking help from the Google Support system.
Target audience
Google has provided a long list of countries that have approved gambling. The marketers need to make sure that they are targeting the audience from those specific countries if they want their ads to be approved by Google.
Disclaimer or Warning
Gambling advertisers are also required to add a disclaimer on their landing page about the age limitation and responsibilities of gambling. Anyone below the age of 21 shouldn’t be allowed to be part of gambling. Moreover, it should add warnings related to addictive gambling with the relevant information to cope up with it. Every ad should lead to a link page to educate the audience on how they can gamble responsibly. It will eliminate the risk factor from the equation and then it will become a win-win for both the marketers and audience.
How Are These Requirements by Google Ads Policy Helpful?
These requirements help Google keep a check and balance on the ads related to sports gambling. It further helps make sure that such ads get banned from child-friendly sites. Google has to be specific about its rules and policies when it comes to sports betting ads to ensure that the platform is not being misused by anyone. It has set quite simple rules and if someone doesn’t fulfill these requirements, he should be ready to face the disapproval of his ads. According to Google Ads policy, it can also lead to account suspension after noticing a significant violation.
Moreover, Google has allowed its users to block a specific advertiser and mute ads. Blocking the advertiser is a feature that has been added to Google Maps, search, YouTube, and Gmail, etc. So, when the user sees an inappropriate ad regarding sports gambling, he has the option to block the advertiser right away. He can also mute the ad which means he will no longer be seeing any similar ad in the future. It gives users a sense of security and satisfaction. It is helpful for parents as well as they can now control and restrict the types of ads their children get to see while browsing on Google Chrome. And those who had been addicted to sports gambling or betting in the past and now want to get rid of it would also have options now to set their ad preferences, mute, or even block the ad. Without these safety barriers and limitations set by Google, it wouldn’t have been possible for the users to feel secure and have control in their hands while browsing on the Internet.
Some marketers find this application process and requirements of the Google ad’s policy hectic and longer. But when they look at the long-term benefits of Google ads, they cannot restrain themselves from using this amazing marketing tool. This way, Google is not causing any hindrance in the growth of businesses, while at the same time, it is taking its users’ preferences into account. It shows that Google has come a long way in tackling the sports betting ads, however, it needs to make constant improvements in its policy according to the current situation of digital marketing.
