Last week, the Russian government ordered Google to remove a number of gambling ads. The government threatened to issue a steep fine if the search operator did not comply. Now, Google has taken action, removing the ads so that Russian internet users cannot see them. The ads were discovered by a Google user in Russia last week, who reported that online casino advertisements could be seen on the search engine.
When the government investigated the ads, it found that the ads had the potential to convert Google users into players – which is particularly worrisome in a country that prohibits gambling by law. Gambling has been illegal in Russia for many years. The government has also banned gambling advertising in order to ensure that residents are not tempted to wager on casino games, sportsbetting and pokies.
Google has since removed the advertisements and apologised to the Russian government for allowing the content to be seen by local internet users. While the search provider’s filters are generally quite sophisticated, there are some instances in which bots can get through. This seems to be the case with regards to the online gambling ads that were discovered on Google Russia.
A statement from Google reads: “Unfortunately, in some cases questionable advertisers attempt to find holes in our filters by various means and sometimes they succeed. We are constantly improving our system and working on the reliability of our filters.” The search provider certainly acted fast in order to rectify the situation.
Russian residents and international casino operators could have found themselves in serious trouble – not to mention Google would have faced a steep penalty from the Russian government.
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