2. Advertising a website is never easy. But imagine how
much harder it would be if advertising your website were
illegal.
3. Gambling websites face just that challenge in reaching US
and Canadian audiences. In both countries, the
government has put media outlets on notice that
accepting advertising from gambling websites is illegal.
(Note: in the US, at least, the industry disputes this, and
charges have never been filed by the US or Canadian
federal governments.)
4. The sites have come up with some pretty creative ways
around the law. Are their tactics worthy of imitation? Or
do they threaten to drag down the image of ecommerce
faster than a wave of no-prescription online pharmacies
dispensing questionable images of minors via browser-
hijacking adware?
5. Have a look at some of these stealth web advertising
tactics:
7. A while ago I saw a TV commercial for a poker-related
website. The commercial carried the prominent warning
"not a gambling website." Curious how such a site could
make money, I typed in the domain name. What did I see?
Gambling!
8. I later realized I had typed in the dot-com version of the
domain name rather than the dot-net. The dot-net
version, the one advertised, has only play gambling with
no money. The dot-com version is the real moneymaker.
9. Web experts have long said that any serious business
website needs a dot-com domain name. Many consumers
won't remember any other extension such as dot-biz or
dot-net, and will instead simply type in the much better
known dot-com. You can call them stupid, but they'll
spend their money on the other site.
10. It seems the marketers of that poker website were
definitely not stupid. But is this ethical? Worse, could this
open up a can of worms for other websites that have a
dot-com and dot-net version, if policymakers try to close
this loophole?
12. One casino website has taken to buying items on eBay
that have generated a lot of media coverage already. The
items have included a grilled cheese sandwich with the
supposed image of the Madonna on one side. The site has
managed to ride the wave of publicity of items such items
by buying them. They thereby get their company name
(which contains their domain name) in any story about the
bizarre auction item (well, except this story).
14. Gambling websites have tried hard to get their domain
names plastered over as much sports-related real estate as
possible. It hasn't been easy. Professional sports world has
long been wary of anything relating to gambling.
Billboards in major stadiums and arenas are out of the
question. So, some sites have started sponsoring rodeos
and other smaller events. One site even bought
advertising space on a female model's midriff.
15. Are any of these tactics working? There are some
gambling websites that say it's all more hype than
substance. They stick to buying ads on other websites.
16. The battered image of the internet, meanwhile, seems to
have suffered relatively little from all this. After all, even
the strongest gambling opponent has to admit there are
more dangerous things online than poker.