Google adds gambling to revenue search

Google is allowing gambling advertisements in its search results in Britain – for the first time anywhere in the world since a self-imposed moratorium in 2004.

Industry experts say the search engine, which welcomed the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh to its London offices yesterday, could generate more than £100m in revenues from rule changes, which come into effect today. The business commands a 70 per cent share of the paid search advertising market in the UK.

Google has been reviewing its gambling advertising policy “to ensure it is as consistent as possible with local business practices”, said James Cashmore, industry leader, entertainment and media, at the company. “We hope this change will enhance the search experience for users and help advertisers connect with interested consumers.”

Google banned gambling advertisements when the US Congress cracked down on the industry in 2004.

Online gambling companies welcomed the lifting of the ban, which follows the UK Gambling Act’s removal of prohibitions on television advertising of casino and bingo gaming, which came into force in September 2007.

“We rely a lot on advertising as our shop window,” said Clive Hawkswood, the chief executive of the Remote Gambling Association, whose members include Ladbrokes, PartyGaming, 888 and other online gaming sites. “Our products are online so the marketing will be using Google a fair bit.”

According to figures from Nielsen, the market research group, casino, lottery and bookmakers are collectively the third largest advertisers in online display ads,both by number of campaigns and share of spending.

“The fact they are third behind mobile phone operators and automotive manufacturers shows they are spending a lot of money on online advertising,” said Alex Burmaster, European internet analyst at Nielsen. “Perhaps Google are going to hit the jackpot.”

Castle Technologies Inc. to Prepare White Paper About $48 Billion Online Gaming Industry

Castle Technologies, Inc. (Pink Sheets:CSTL) is pleased to announce that the Company will prepare a White Paper to provide an informative insight to the growing number of global online poker players and the business as a whole. The White Paper is expected to be completed within the next three weeks and customers and investors interested in receiving a copy can go to the company’s Web site, www.castletechnologiesinc.com, and fill out a request form.
Several members of Castle Technologies, Inc. will contribute to the White Paper in order to provide factual information on their new software currently being Alpha tested. Analysts project the online gaming industry will be $48 billion by 2010 and exceed $125 billion by 2015. The White Paper will also discuss the poker games being developed by the Company: Texas Hold’em, Omaha, and 7-Card Stud as well as the patent pending progressive jackpot features and new tournament structures for the online gambling software.
“We’re writing this paper to present the information about our online poker software to our customers and investors and to demonstrate how our patent pending progressive jackpot feature makes the game more entertaining for the players. We want to inform them about the fundamentals of our online poker software and the online poker industry. The White Paper will also define how our software relates to our customers’ satisfaction in participating in these games, and increased revenues for the Company and our investors,” stated David Comeau, President and CEO of Castle Technologies, Inc.
About Castle Technologies, Inc.:
Castle Technologies is a software development and servicing company specializing in providing innovative Web based gaming to the growing international online population. Its market focus is the multi-player poker enthusiast that has continued to spread internationally and grow at a phenomenal rate. The Company will license these products and services to offshore companies, and receive royalties based on the usage of the systems and support in place.
Safe Harbor Act: Statements regarding financial matters in this press release other than historical facts are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The Company intends that such statements about the Company’s future expectations, including future revenues and earnings, technology efficacy and all other forward-looking statements be subject to the safe harbors created thereby. The Company is a development stage company who continues to be dependent upon outside capital to sustain its existence. Since these statements (future operational results and sales) involve risks and uncertainties and are subject to change at any time, the Company’s actual results may differ materially from expected results.