Casinos.co.uk: Casino News Archive
Friday 21st May 2004
The Advertising Onslaught
The grey area surrounding advertising practices in the interactive gaming industry has convinced many network executives to reevaluate their advertising policies and discontinue online gambling advertisements, at least for now. Among the broadcasting giants that have already pulled Internet gambling advertisements are Clear Channel Communications, Infinity Broadcasting and the Discovery Networks. And now, amid rumors of federal government pressure, the search engines Google and Yahoo! are following suit. Google and Yahoo! have announced plans to stop taking advertising from gambling-related Websites. Although Google is pulling online gambling ads in all markets, officials with Yahoo! said they will continue to carry advertising on the company’s global sites, which are published in numerous languages and marketed throughout the world. While specific legislation prohibiting Internet gambling has yet to pass both the House of Representatives and the Senate, “advertising an illegal activity ought to be illegal itself,” federal officials say. Family News In Focus boasted that “a quiet federal campaign against the marketing of illegal Internet gambling sites is under way and apparently having an effect.” The campaign by the federal government was kicked into high gear last June, when Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division of the Justice Department, John G. Malcolm, sent a letter to trade groups representing publishers and broadcasters. The letter warned trade groups that their members may be in violation of federal law by aiding and abetting online casinos through the acceptance of ads. However, all has been quiet since the Department of Justice’s September 2003 issuance of subpoenas, which requested all records pertaining to advertisements by Internet gaming establishments dating back to 1997.
Lawrence G. Walters, Esq., is a partner in the national law firm of Weston Garrou & DeWitt, with offices in Orlando, Los Angeles, and San Diego. Mr. Walters represents clients involved in all aspects of online gaming operations. Nothing in this article constitutes legal advice. Please contact your personal attorney with specific legal questions. Mr. Walters can be reached at Larry@LawrenceWalters.com, through his website: wwwGameAttorneys.com, or via AOL Screen Name: “Webattorney.”
Source:OnlineCasinoNews
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