Google is hitting the slots. After an almost four year self-imposed ban, the search giant has begun accepting online gambling ads in Britain.
The new ads will be classified as "non-family safe," and will target Brisith customers only.
Gambling is legal in the U.K. and commands a 70 percent share of the paid search advertising market there, but still has a myriad of detractors. After the announcement of the shift yesterday, a spokesman for the Church of England chided: "As people are facing more financial uncertainty, the fantasy of instant wealth could become particularly attractive and the consequences of losses correspondingly serious."
Google's self-imposed ban that began in 2004 was an attempt at taking some sort of moral highground in dealing with the industry, but the idea of some instant wealth appeals to more than just individuals when facing financial security. The Financial Times estimates that the rule change could generate £100m in revenues for Google.
