Ukrainian Gambling Council Urges Google to Lift Ad Ban

The Ukrainian Gambling Council (UGC) is calling on Google to lift its ban on ads from licensed gambling operators, warning that the tech giant’s blanket ad restrictions are unintentionally fueling the illegal gambling market. By allowing unlicensed operators to exploit these restrictions while preventing legitimate businesses from advertising, the UGC says the country’s regulated gambling industry is being severely impacted.

Ukrainian Gambling Council Appeals to Google to Lift Ad Ban on Licensed Operators

The Ukrainian Gambling Council (UGC) has made an urgent appeal to Google to lift its current ban on advertisements from licensed gambling operators. The UGC argues that this blanket ban on gambling ads has had unintended consequences, stifling the growth of the legal gambling market while allowing unlicensed operators to flourish in Ukraine.

In a formal appeal to Google’s regional office in Ukraine, the UGC outlined the challenges facing legitimate operators. According to the trade body, licensed companies—many of which sponsor sports competitions and contribute tax revenue—are unable to advertise their services legally due to Google’s policy, which currently only allows lotteries to be promoted on its platform.

Key Points:

1. Appeal to Lift Ad Restrictions: The UGC is urging Google to remove advertising restrictions for licensed land-based and digital gambling operators in Ukraine.
2. Impact on the Regulated Market: Licensed companies are losing customers and profits, while the Ukrainian government loses out on tax revenue.
3. Illegal Operators Exploit Ban: Unlicensed operators have managed to evade the ban by changing domain names, further expanding their reach.

The UGC highlighted the negative repercussions of Google’s ban, stating, “This situation leads to the spread of the illegal services market. Licensed companies have obtained state licenses and started marketing campaigns, but they cannot legally advertise their services online. As a result, companies lose customers and profits, and the state loses taxes.”

Unlicensed Operators Gaining Advantage

One of the UGC’s primary concerns is that unlicensed gambling sites are less affected by Google’s restrictions. By frequently changing their site names and moving domains, these operators are able to evade the ad ban and continue to attract users. This not only undermines the legal gambling industry but also puts consumers at greater risk, as these sites operate outside of regulatory oversight.

To address these issues, the UGC has contacted Paul Terence Manicle, Director at Google LLC, and Tetiana Lukyniuk, General Director of Google’s Ukraine office, requesting that Google lift its restrictions and allow licensed operators to advertise legally.

Calls for Legal Ad Campaigns

The UGC is pushing for Google to officially allow ads for various forms of regulated gambling in Ukraine, including land-based venues, sports betting, online casinos, and virtual poker. In addition, the council has requested that gambling mobile apps be advertised on Google services in the country.

The only form of gambling currently allowed to advertise on Google in Ukraine is lotteries. However, the UGC has long-standing concerns about lottery operators, accusing them of operating as unlicensed gambling services. According to the UGC, these lottery operators have been offering gambling-like services such as betting, online casinos, and slot machines without proper licensing or paying taxes and licensing fees since their licenses expired in 2014.

The UGC added, “Lotteries imitate gambling games—betting, online casinos, slot machines—without having the appropriate licenses. Also, they do not pay any taxes and license fees to the budget.”

Urgency to Revise Policies

With Ukraine’s regulated gambling market still in its early stages, the UGC is urging Google to reconsider its policies and support the growth of licensed gambling operators. The council believes that lifting the ad ban will not only help legal businesses thrive but also curb the expansion of unregulated gambling platforms, which pose a significant risk to consumer safety and tax revenues.

The Ukrainian Gambling Council is pushing for an urgent policy change from Google, advocating for the lifting of the ad ban on licensed gambling operators in the country. As unlicensed operators exploit these restrictions to expand their reach, the UGC emphasizes the need to support legal, regulated gambling businesses to protect both consumers and the country’s tax base.