Google’s Casino Game Blunder Causes Upset
Search engine juggernaut Google have made hasty changes to their casino game advertising blacklist, after being struck by a tsunami of angry complaints. The complaints revolved around search results for the phrase GamStop, which is a gambling addiction recovery service.
It turns out that when GamStop was searched, results would often include advertising for casino games. The GamStop service is designed to help those with gambling addiction, blocking all casino-related advertising and content once the service had been activated.
The loophole in logic infuriated those looking for help with gambling addiction, which in turn quickly got the attention of the Betting and Gaming Council. The watchdog group contacted the search engine mega-corporation, demanding changes.
Those changes have now come to pass, with Google having announced that their advertising blacklist has been amended.
A Free, Fair, And Safe Internet
Commenting on the situation, a spokesman for the Betting and Gaming Council was quick to declare that Google had acted swiftly, and been cooperative. So, in their eyes, the situation has been fully resolved, helping to maintain a free, fair, and safe Internet environment.
The watchdog group prides itself on being a champion of the online casino game world, and ensures that they will not hesitate to take action again if more problems are detected.
Google, on the other hand, scrambled to explain how the loophole had occurred in the first place.
Account Suspensions
Chris Harrison, Google’s Industry Head of Financial Trading and Egaming, spoke on behalf of the company. He explained that online casino game adverts were slipping through when GameStop was searched, due to advertising companies specifically targeting the phrase. Additionally, companies outside of the United Kingdom, where the GamStop service is offered, were also even able to sign up those who had registered with the service.
Harrison elaborated that the company global blacklist had been updated, ensuring that this would no longer happen. He also pointed out that many advertising accounts had been suspended, stopping the abusive advertisers from operating entirely.
CEO of GamStop, Fiona Palmer, made her own comment about the situation. She confirmed that when the phrase is searched, intentions have always been that the results received only relate to help with problem gambling, and not casino game advertising.
Her conclusion was that the organisation was still working closely with all search engines, to maintain the standard and ensure that no more loopholes were exploited.