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Google has informed Italy-facing AdWords advertisers that they will no longer be able to advertise gambling products and services in Italy. The announcement comes shortly after a proposed ban on all forms of gambling advertising was approved by the Italian government.
Google has said in a recent email to AdWords advertisers that it has changed the section of its AdWords Gambling and Games policy that is concerned with advertising in Italy and that gambling-oriented advertising content will no longer serve in that particular country. The new revised policy has taken immediate effect. Google has also stressed that advertisers authorized to promote gambling services and products in other jurisdictions will be able to continue doing that.
Commenting on the latest development in Italy’s gambling advertising saga, Deputy Prime Minister Luigi Di Maio told local gaming news outlet AGIMEG that Google acknowledging the advertising ban was another manifestation of the fact that they are finally fighting gambling and the threats it poses to society with “effective tools”. Minister Di Maio was actually the person to spearhead the so-called Dignity Decree, a legislative piece that, among other things, contained proposals for the full ban on gambling-oriented advertising activities in the country.
Reports about the potential prohibition of gambling advertising first emerged before Italy’s general election in March. Once the country’s new government was formed and was sworn in at the beginning of June, Minister Di Maio proceeded with the introduction of the Dignity Decree and its successful passage through the legislature.
Italy’s Council of Ministers approved the legislation earlier this month. The Dignity Decree is now reviewed by the Chamber of Deputies. It is slated to take effect on January 1, 2019.
Expected Impact from the Ban
According to a recent report by global measurement firm Nielsen, the gambling ads ban will see the country’s advertising revenue drop by between €40 million and €50 million in 2019 and between €60 million and €70 million in 2020 when the ban will be fully in force.
Here it is important to note that the Italian government has agreed to give gambling advertisers a certain period of time to adjust to the new landscape. In other words, existing contracts will not be affected by the ban for another year after its adoption.
Italian football is one of the biggest beneficiaries of the gambling advertising industry, as major gambling companies have been sponsoring football clubs to secure larger brand exposure. According to recent data, the sport could lose up to €200 million from the termination of sponsorship contracts.
The introduction of the gambling ban has been justified by Minister Di Maio and his supporters as a necessary move toward the deployment of more effective tools for the protection of Italian population from the risks gambling poses. However, the industry has contested the ban, arguing that advertising has been one of the few advantages it has had over black market operations and that now as the advantage has been scrapped, unregulated operators would be able to lure customers more easily.
The post Google AdWords Bans Gambling Ads for Italy appeared first on Casino News Daily.
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