Have Internet Ads Gone Too Far?

The topic of internet ads concerning online gambling took another turn as people started to spread complaints. In all fairness, it is not the problem of the online casino’s themselves, rather, the way the internet and ads work. The concern, is whether enough is being done to prevent a situation arising. Let’s break the story down for an easier comprehension level.

-In 2011, Congress and the Justice Department took a decision that opened the door for states to permit internet gambling

-Screenshots were taken against this cause, as they were found on a children’s gaming website

-The situation is similar to that of “Marlboro”

In this article, we will be uncovering the main points and reasons for this sudden outrage. To analyse a specific problem we have to go to it’s roots and carefully follow each and every important part. Before starting our investigation, be sure to check out the latest online gambling news to keep up to date with the hottest stories.

Do Gambling Internet Ads Create A Problem?

The topic of internet ads promoting gambling was given the green light in 2011, when Congress acknowledged and accepted the move for the internet rights from online casinos. Since then, the legislative fight against this decision has been constant. It was only the past month, when a source close to the legislative fight shared screenshots of casinos advertising in places they should not be.

This source, found that internet ads for gambling were being showed in children’s gaming websites, as well as gambling addiction recovery sites. The websites were GirlsGoGaming.com and “Twelve Ways To Stop Gambling Addiction Forever.”

Contrary to what you may think, this does not mean that online gambling casinos are targeting youth and gambling addicts. Instead, they are just ads recommended to them because of previous web-browser history. The correct term used is retargeting ads by the industry.

How Is This Case Similar to Marlboro

A comparison of the two was made by Blanche Lincoln, who works with the Coalition to Stop Internet Gambling, a foundation which is backed by Casino magnate Sheldon Adelson. He stated the following on how similar this current situation is to the former cigarette ads which are no longer permitted by law.

“You used to have the Marlboro man, you used to have those ads,”

“Congress in its wisdom and some in the industry determined it was not appropriate. The advertising part of it is exactly what hooks kids and seniors who are desperate, who are marginalized individuals and trying to feed a family.”

Comments In Defence of This Accusation

On the other hand, an anonymous person in the online gambling industry called this farce “a setup with no substance.” He went on to say that internet ads would only appear should the previous history have visited online casinos. Contrary to this, advertisers do have the ability to restrict which websites their programmatic ads can appear on, but the system isn’t perfect.

In this extraordinary story, we have heard both sides of the table. Now, we would like to understand your stance on which side of the fence do you sit in.