Yahoo Policy Against Online Gambling Related Listings

[islandman]

I have posted a similar thread on the Google Adwrods forum. However, this is specific to Yahoo/Overture.

My revenue has hit rock bottom since their implementation of policy vs. Online gambling related ads - where even portals and information sites were banned from using Overture.

However, they are NOT FAIR in their implementation, day in and day out, I see online gambling related adwords listings for gambling search terms that are supposed to be banned.

Case in point

"online casino"

"online poker"

"sports betting"

and variants thereof have gambling related listings (as of this posting)

I contact them on a regular basis alerting them to these listings, but it takes two weeks before they take out offending listings. In the meantime, my accounts and my listings are permanently disabled.

This has hurt my revenue, I am considering a lawsuit. I have recorded all email exchange and screen captured search results.

Please advice.

[NFFC]

>Please advice.

Cast your mind back, then further, then further still...go as far as to when you first exited the womb.

What happened next?

It seems in your case the midwife held you close to her and whispered in your ear "life is supposed to be fair". In my case I got a smack on the ass and cried like a baby.

Your midwife was wrong, change tatics bro, move on to bigger and better things.

[islandman]

thanks for the reply dude; which was basically "nothing" but philosophical ****.

this forum is about search engine marketing right? And my issue is a search engine related issue right? "Move on" is the best advice you can come up with?

No bro, you "move on".

[NFFC]

>thanks for the reply dude; which was basically "nothing" but philosophical ****.

Sorry you took it that way, it wasn't intended as that.

Lets look at the facts.

Your location = Miami

Operating an online casino is illegal in the United States, the regulators have taken the view that promoting an offshore online casino is akin to ading and abbeting. Overture.com being a US based company have taken the view that they do not want to break the law, hence the ban.

>"Move on" is the best advice you can come up with?

No, change tactics was my best advice, you are free to pick the bits you want though.

>this forum is about search engine marketing right?

No again, you are in the Overture PPC Ads forum. There is a huge clue there, it don't say the Overture.com PPC Ads forum. Now think.

[videogirl]

Originally Posted by islandman

I have posted a similar thread on the Google Adwrods forum. However, this is specific to Yahoo/Overture.

My revenue has hit rock bottom since their implementation of policy vs. Online gambling related ads - where even portals and information sites were banned from using Overture.

However, they are NOT FAIR in their implementation, day in and day out, I see online gambling related adwords listings for gambling search terms that are supposed to be banned.

Case in point

"online casino"

"online poker"

"sports betting"

and variants thereof have gambling related listings (as of this posting)

I contact them on a regular basis alerting them to these listings, but it takes two weeks before they take out offending listings. In the meantime, my accounts and my listings are permanently disabled.

This has hurt my revenue, I am considering a lawsuit. I have recorded all email exchange and screen captured search results.

Please advice.

I totally agree with your statement! Overture kicked my site off in 2 days, yes two days for having a Gambling link on the site. I advised them that an Online Casino website has been in the #1 spot for weeks and paying them over $4.00 per click. I even provided them with screen shots of the site and listing. This is unfair and its not illegal to advertise gambling sites in the US, just operate one inside the US. We need to stop Overture/Yahoo and even Google for thier discrimative measures concerning online gambling keywords and webistes!!!

[Chris_D]

Hi Videogirl, and welcome to the forums.

Videogirl wrote:

its not illegal to advertise gambling sites in the US

Thats where you are not quite right.

This is all pretty much ancient history - its now a few years old.

Back in April 2004, Yahoo! (Overture) and Google stopped accepting paid advertising for all gambling (sports betting; casino; bingo etc.)

The move, which the companies said would take effect by the end of April, comes as federal prosecutors are threatening action against American companies that do business with Internet casinos that are based abroad.

The prosecutors are arguing that the American companies are "aiding and abetting" offshore Internet casinos, whose operations are illegal in the United States. Prosecutors started a grand jury investigation last year, issuing subpoenas to American broadcasters, publishers and Web sites that run advertisements for online casinos.

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/05/te...rtner=USERLAND

Citing the Interstate Wire Act of 1961, also known as the Federal Wire Act, the Justice Department is targeting website owners who “aid and abet” what the US Government considers an illegal activity. This week, the US Feds scored a major victory in their fight against offshore companies taking US dollars when both Google and Yahoo announced they would no longer run advertisments for online casinos.

http://www.searchenginejournal.com/index.php?p=446

Danny wrote an article in May 2004 http://searchenginewatch.com/serepor...le.php/3350751

Australia and Germany, for example, had laws relating to advertising of gambling before this (on TV, as well as the Web); and there are other industries which can't be advertised (eg tobacco products in Australia) on TV radio, magazines or the internet.

More recently, Italy has blocked access for its residents to gambling sites.

[videogirl]

Hi,

Thanks for the reply but there must be more to this than your post. Several search engines still allow online gambling related sites and all you have to do is look around. I advertise on several high ranked pay per click sites now.

What makes me mad is that Overture/Yahoo, go look for yourself is advertising an Online Casino under the keyword "Online Casino", this site is paying over $4.00 per click. Here's the URL: Overture "Online Casino" keyword

The site is: official-onlinegambling.com & looks like the #2 stop right now. It links to a popular casino: 7 sultans .com

Here's a recent article for you to read:Current read

As I stated Yahoo/Overture is unfair!!!!!

later,

Video Girl

[Chris_D]

Hi Videogirl

Just for background - I used to run the PPC campaigns for a sportsbetting company until April 2004 - that's how I knew about the exact change in the policy.

Regarding your search - don't forget I'm in Australia - I can't see any Overture advertisements on that link to a Yahoo! search for online casino.

So I used a US proxy server - and you are dead right - there are numerous Casino advertisements.

Maybe YahooSarah can enlighten us.

As I said - we don't see any of these adverts accessing Yahoo.com from an Australian IP address.... most betting terms are ad free....

[YahooSarah]

All,

I wanted to comment on this thread to clarify that YSM's policy on online gambling listings. To be clear, Yahoo! does not accept listings for sites that have online gambling as their central theme. To review all unacceptable content for listings, please check out our guidelines here: http://searchmarketing.yahoo.com/rc/srch/lg_uc.php.

That said, there are instances where advertisers find ways to work around our policy. It is helpful to get tips from you when you see violators. The one VideoGirl pointed to on 3/8 (7 sultans .com) is a violation and I've sent a note to our editorial team to remove them.

If you find other violators, be sure to email us at feedback-ysm@yahoo-inc.com.

Thanks,
YahooSarah

[Chris_D]

Thanks very much for the policy clarification YahooSarah.

[videogirl]

I see that you deleted the site I was complaining about, I can assure you I know the Yahoo/Overture policy! I also know Googles...

The problem now is that your listing gambling sites that require users to provide login, password etc. information. Right now if you search Yahoo, "online Casino" you'll find a site called: fruitnloot.com

Enter the information and you get an e-mail from, guess who.. realvegascasino.com ! This is an online casino Sara!! Is it ok to do it this way?

You can also do the same thing with: banner.goldenpalace.net, listed under "online casino" sponsored listing and guess what this is goldenpalace.com casino!!!

Maybe Yahoo needs to hire me to help with your gambling website issues as you seem to only accept the high dollar sites?????

Give me a break.....

Videogirl & PS-----

Heres the e-mail from Yahoos fruitnloop.com listing...

Your account has been credited with a free $5.

To start playing please log in at RealVegasCasino.com
We would like to thank you personally for choosing RealVegasCasino.com
and hope you will enjoy all your favorite games with us.

RealVegasCasino.com has been voted 'Top Casino' by the readers of Gambling Online
Magazine for FOUR years running, and we aim to be the very best.

If you need any help accessing RealVegasCasino.com, please do not hesitate
to call PlayersHelp on the numbers below. Alternatively
you can email them at info(at)realvegascasino.com

To deposit funds to your account you can use the following options:

Credit Card
NETeller
FirePay
Citadel
Solidpay
Western Union

Remember too to look out for our fantastic Match Deposit offer. Simply deposit
$25 or more in your Casino account, and we’ll match it, dollar for dollar,
up to an awesome $225!

Good luck, and if you see either of us don't forget to say Hi!

Regards,

Pamela Johnson
Manager - RealVegasCasino.com
(Edited unneeded signature)


What a JOKE>>>>>>>>>>>>>

[videogirl]

Sara,

I just figured out that fruitnloop.com and your #1 listing realvegasonline.biz are the same.... Wow go figure that! Its all under Yahoo, online casino, sponsored listings.

I hate to see you loose your top 2 gambling sites and paying probably $2 or $3 per click but hey its your policy!

I can assure I'll keep posting until they are removed...

Videogirl

[BradBristol]

Hi VideoGirl,

I would suggest that every time you post in here about a casino listing that has slipped past the editors and filters that you also write your elected representives (if you are a US citizen) and complain about the restrictions on your rights to spend your money and time anyway you want (as long as you don't hurt anyone). The polititons love to say America is a free country, make them live up to it!

[sportsguy]

I suppose it does not get any more "me" than this thread...LOL

Meaning, Im in this vertical with some of our products.

Back in the day, Yahoo/Google were goldmines for traffic - $30K - $40K a month easy and loads upon loads of traffic to make it worthwhile.

Then, even though you cannot wager at any of our sites, we were tagged (rightly) as gambling related. So goes the rolling dime - down the drain...

Fast-forward a couple years and you see listing popping up for sites obviously into gambling. Sure, it's frustrating - I love to hate the guy here who constantly busts my chops about why we're not there, too. Then I remind him to check for THAT listing again in a few weeks.

They get caught - eventually, and disabled. The credit card is flagged, the e-mail addy's logged - eventually you're out of masked IP addys, you've burned through a truckload of disposable domains and you're calling AMEX for another new account number - not solid long-term thinking, IMO.

What does work is to follow the rules and get products which meet the rules into the system. heck, do that and suddenly your Gold again (status-wise).

Yahoo seems to work more with us now than Google does, but so it goes.

Yahoo actually allows you to bid on gambling related phrases if the phrase is related to your content, and your content is not solely there to drive traffic to gambling-related sites.

Google, on the other hand, has an automated system which FORBIDS certain phrases form the ads you try to build - won't even let them go live! - then backs them up with humans who review things a few days later and shut you down.

It's tough, but look hard at your products and be honest - do they meet the rules/requirements for inclusion?

Saying Yahoo/Google are being unfair because "some ads slip by" is a bit weak, IMO. They have the rules in place, they deal with more verticals than just ours, they have milions of folks looking for attention each week and because YOU (the "general" YOU, no-one specific on this one) got targeted, folks feel the need to complain when they see others.

What about the few days YOUR ad was up & running? That wasn't an issue, was it?

Now, I agree this all stinks if you're a gambling site - I agree the laws are crap, etc.

But, you can work with the rules and figure things out which make sense for you and will still be acceptable to the PPC programs, or you can look elsewhere for traffic.

I gave up beating my head against that wall years ago - big picture, turns out it wasn't that big a deal for us - as now we're back and the programs running are working well.

Got lemons, make lemonade.

Hi YahooSarah (and others :-)

Been combing the 'net on messages regarding YSM and blocked sites. A client of ours recently received email regarding their keyword listings (that were previously accepted when reviewed) being removed later for reason SITE BLOCKED, OTHER.

We visited your link on guidelines (and had done that before when first listed) and ensured the site didn't refer to, or describe, any of the items banned.

We've replied to the email received asking what specifically is in violation; as we want to make any changes necessary to get client domain back on YSM if that's what it takes. We haven't received a reply yet; will we receive a response?

And another more important question is... is it possible to get a site 'un-blocked'?

Thanks for your guidance.

Springman

Originally Posted by YahooSarah

All,

I wanted to comment on this thread to clarify that YSM's policy on online gambling listings. To be clear, Yahoo! does not accept listings for sites that have online gambling as their central theme. To review all unacceptable content for listings, please check out our guidelines here: http://searchmarketing.yahoo.com/rc/srch/lg_uc.php.

That said, there are instances where advertisers find ways to work around our policy. It is helpful to get tips from you when you see violators. The one VideoGirl pointed to on 3/8 (7 sultans .com) is a violation and I've sent a note to our editorial team to remove them.

If you find other violators, be sure to email us at feedback-ysm@yahoo-inc.com.

Thanks,
YahooSarah