Google lifts the ban on betting apps in 15 new countries, excluding India
The Google Playstore has always had strict policies against gambling app and adverts for years. At the moment, only four countries currently host betting apps on Playstore. These countries are the UK, Ireland, France, and Brazil.
However, the company recently announced an update to its policies which will now allow real money betting and gambling apps in 15 new countries. The Google policy also gives room for adverts related to gambling and the apps, and also daily fantasy sports.
The policy will become active on March 1 and this will make it a total of 19 countries where Google allows betting apps. These 15 new countries are Canada, Colombia, Australia, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Finland, Sweden, Japan, Mexico, Norway, Spain, Romania, New Zealand, and the United States.
Each of these new countries already has strict regulations to guide gambling within their borders and also to protect punters. They also have a clear definition of which forms of gambling are legal and those illegal. Nevertheless, most of them allow sports betting, online casinos, lotteries, and daily fantasy sports.
The restrictions may seem a bit complicated as they are not the same across all countries. For example, most of the countries only permit lotteries when they are organized by the government. But for a nation like the UK, such a restriction is not in place.
Also in the US, it depends on the policies of each state on lotteries. Thus, any operators planning to release a new betting app will have to understand the legal framework of their targeted area.
What this means for India
It is no longer news that India has one of the fastest-growing gambling markets in the world. A lot of online casinos currently operate in the country and most of them make downloadable apps available.
With India excluded among the list of countries that can have gambling apps on the play store, it would be less easy for punters to find such apps.
Also, the regulation makes PPC (pay per click) a big revenue stream for real money games. In the 19 countries where Google allows gambling ads, operators will be able to attract new punters easily and make more profit.
However, many Indian real money businesses, especially real money casino sites are missing out on this opportunity as Google does not allow PPC ads for real money games in India. Instead, Indian gambling operators will have to rely on traditional ways of attracting players.
Reasons for India and other nations’ exclusion from the list wasn’t expressly stated. However, we could tell that it is because the online gambling market in India is still not regulated.
Many of the allowed countries have well-defined policies that guide online gambling activities, unlike India. The India gambling law does not in any way make provision for online real money gambling or the protection of punters.
How it would work in the allowed countries
As soon as the policy becomes active, developers in the 15 countries can publish their apps for sports betting, online casinos, or daily fantasy on the Google Playstore.
However, Google would not just accept any developer who is from the countries. There are eligibility criteria that must be met. The criteria depend on the country and the particular region where the app will operate in.
Developers will have to go through an application process before they can submit their apps. They must also be registered and recognized by the necessary gambling authority in that state or country. Only then will Google allow them to publish the permitted kinds of gambling apps in their locations.
This new Google policy will be beneficial to punters and app developers. It will allow gambling operators to reach more people easily. Punters who download from the Playstore will use the app confidently, as compared to when they download from illegitimate sources.
Google Warns About Misuse of Its Indexing API
Google has updated its Indexing API documentation with a clear warning about spam detection and the possible consequences of misuse.
Warning Against API Misuse The new message in the guide says:
“All submissions through the Indexing API are checked for spam. Any misuse, like using multiple accounts or going over the usage limits, could lead to access being taken away.”
This warning is aimed at people trying to abuse the system by exceeding the API’s limits or breaking Google’s rules.
What Is the Indexing API? The Indexing API allows websites to tell Google when job posting or livestream video pages are added or removed. It helps websites with fast-changing content get their pages crawled and indexed quickly.
But it seems some users have been trying to abuse this by using multiple accounts to get more access.
Impact of the Update Google is now closely watching how people use the Indexing API. If someone breaks the rules, they might lose access to the tool, which could make it harder for them to keep their search results updated for time-sensitive content.
How To Stay Compliant To use the Indexing API properly, follow these rules:
- Don’t go over the usage limits, and if you need more, ask Google instead of using multiple accounts.
- Use the API only for job postings or livestream videos, and make sure your data is correct.
- Follow all of Google’s API guidelines and spam policies.
- Use sitemaps along with the API, not as a replacement.
Remember, the Indexing API isn’t a shortcut to faster indexing. Follow the rules to keep your access.
This Week in Search News: Simple and Easy-to-Read Update
Here’s what happened in the world of Google and search engines this week:
1. Google’s June 2024 Spam Update
Google finished rolling out its June 2024 spam update over a period of seven days. This update aims to reduce spammy content in search results.
2. Changes to Google Search Interface
Google has removed the continuous scroll feature for search results. Instead, it’s back to the old system of pages.
3. New Features and Tests
- Link Cards: Google is testing link cards at the top of AI-generated overviews.
- Health Overviews: There are more AI-generated health overviews showing up in search results.
- Local Panels: Google is testing AI overviews in local information panels.
4. Search Rankings and Quality
- Improving Rankings: Google said it can improve its search ranking system but will only do so on a large scale.
- Measuring Quality: Google’s Elizabeth Tucker shared how they measure search quality.
5. Advice for Content Creators
- Brand Names in Reviews: Google advises not to avoid mentioning brand names in review content.
- Fixing 404 Pages: Google explained when it’s important to fix 404 error pages.
6. New Search Features in Google Chrome
Google Chrome for mobile devices has added several new search features to enhance user experience.
7. New Tests and Features in Google Search
- Credit Card Widget: Google is testing a new widget for credit card information in search results.
- Sliding Search Results: When making a new search query, the results might slide to the right.
8. Bing’s New Feature
Bing is now using AI to write “People Also Ask” questions in search results.
9. Local Search Ranking Factors
Menu items and popular times might be factors that influence local search rankings on Google.
10. Google Ads Updates
- Query Matching and Brand Controls: Google Ads updated its query matching and brand controls, and advertisers are happy with these changes.
- Lead Credits: Google will automate lead credits for Local Service Ads. Google says this is a good change, but some advertisers are worried.
- tROAS Insights Box: Google Ads is testing a new insights box for tROAS (Target Return on Ad Spend) in Performance Max and Standard Shopping campaigns.
- WordPress Tag Code: There is a new conversion code for Google Ads on WordPress sites.
These updates highlight how Google and other search engines are continuously evolving to improve user experience and provide better advertising tools.
AI
Exploring the Evolution of Language Translation: A Comparative Analysis of AI Chatbots and Google Translate
According to an article on PCMag, while Google Translate makes translating sentences into over 100 languages easy, regular users acknowledge that there’s still room for improvement.
In theory, large language models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT are expected to bring about a new era in language translation. These models consume vast amounts of text-based training data and real-time feedback from users worldwide, enabling them to quickly learn to generate coherent, human-like sentences in a wide range of languages.
However, despite the anticipation that ChatGPT would revolutionize translation, previous experiences have shown that such expectations are often inaccurate, posing challenges for translation accuracy. To put these claims to the test, PCMag conducted a blind test, asking fluent speakers of eight non-English languages to evaluate the translation results from various AI services.
The test compared ChatGPT (both the free and paid versions) to Google Translate, as well as to other competing chatbots such as Microsoft Copilot and Google Gemini. The evaluation involved comparing the translation quality for two test paragraphs across different languages, including Polish, French, Korean, Spanish, Arabic, Tagalog, and Amharic.
In the first test conducted in June 2023, participants consistently favored AI chatbots over Google Translate. ChatGPT, Google Bard (now Gemini), and Microsoft Bing outperformed Google Translate, with ChatGPT receiving the highest praise. ChatGPT demonstrated superior performance in converting colloquialisms, while Google Translate often provided literal translations that lacked cultural nuance.
For instance, ChatGPT accurately translated colloquial expressions like “blow off steam,” whereas Google Translate produced more literal translations that failed to resonate across cultures. Participants appreciated ChatGPT’s ability to maintain consistent levels of formality and its consideration of gender options in translations.
The success of AI chatbots like ChatGPT can be attributed to reinforcement learning with human feedback (RLHF), which allows these models to learn from human preferences and produce culturally appropriate translations, particularly for non-native speakers. However, it’s essential to note that while AI chatbots outperformed Google Translate, they still had limitations and occasional inaccuracies.
In a subsequent test, PCMag evaluated different versions of ChatGPT, including the free and paid versions, as well as language-specific AI agents from OpenAI’s GPTStore. The paid version of ChatGPT, known as ChatGPT Plus, consistently delivered the best translations across various languages. However, Google Translate also showed improvement, performing surprisingly well compared to previous tests.
Overall, while ChatGPT Plus emerged as the preferred choice for translation, Google Translate demonstrated notable improvement, challenging the notion that AI chatbots are always superior to traditional translation tools.
Source: https://www.pcmag.com/articles/google-translate-vs-chatgpt-which-is-the-best-language-translator
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