Google announces new feature to block gambling ads

Google has announced it will soon launch a new feature to its advertisement settings that lets users choose to see less gambling marketing while using its services.

The company said this in response to feedback from users who said they would prefer to limit ads for sensitive categories or topics.

In addition to gambling, users will also be able to limit the number of alcohol ads they see.

Previously, Google implemented ‘About this ad’, a service which explains why a specific ad is being shown, and Ad Settings, which allows people to control how ads are personalized or even opt-out of personalised ads altogether. 

Mute this ad allowed a user to choose not to see a specific advertisement again, but this new feature will improve on this by allowing the user to block entire categories at once.

This will inevitably save users a lot of time and potential temptation, something particularly important to people who suffer from gambling problems. These users might benefit from having gambling out of sight, out of mind.

Like other services that help you take a break from gambling sites, the decision to set up the ad-blocker is reversible, so users can choose to bring the ads back if they change their mind.

In a statement on the Google blog, company spokesperson Debbie Weinstein said the new feature “is an extra step, putting choice in the user’s hands and enabling you to further control your ad experience.”

The feature will gradually roll out across the globe. It will be introduced in the US first, but the company expects to introduce it for Google Ads and YouTube globally in early 2021.

“We’ll continue to improve our controls; and as our products and people’s expectations of them evolve, so will the feature we make available to personalize ad experiences,” her statement read.

If you need help with blocking gambling sites, check out our guide to Gamstop.

Fun fact: gambling ads in the UK have been banned from featuring celebrities!