Tomorrow will see Google make a dramatic and unexpected u-turn when it lifts its ban on paid search advertising for UK gambling websites. The Mountain View giants previously had a policy that refused to carry AdWords advertisements for gambling operations like online bingo and casino sites. It's expected that the new position will result in a scramble as bidders attempt to get ahead in what could potentially be a lucrative new sales vertical.
Google aren't the only ones who will experience some fast changes following this announcement - it's possible that Yahoo! will also find itself substantially impacted. Until now, the struggling search engine has profited from the PPC revenue generated by gambling advertisers that were barred from using Google. If all of these bidders decide to abandon Yahoo! for new, greener pastures at Google, Yahoo! could find itself losing a sizable chunk of its turnover.
When the ban was first introduced by Google 16 months ago, there was an outcry from gaming and gambling companies who claimed that the search giants were unable to provide them with evidence that its users wanted the ban. They will undoubtedly be celebrating now that it seems that Google has somehow been won round to their point of view.
According NewMediaAge.com, Google's industry head James Cashmore said that Google had been reviewing the policy for almost a year and denied that its hand had been forced by the current economic climate. He added: "This is not a decision that's been made quickly; it's been something that's been under discussion for months"
A reaction to the global economic state or not, it's certain that this reversal will see millions of pounds flooding back into AdWords from eager gaming and gambling companies.
