Please gamble responsibly.
by Penny Walker
Internet is being used for varied purposes, including gambling and gaming activities like Bingo playing online.� The reach of Internet, which is phenomenal, is made best use of by the Online Bingo Industry in all the European countries � particularly in UK, USA, Canada, Spain and other EU member nations.� While so, the legal decisions given by one of the Courts in these countries will be having far reaching consequences in all others.� Here is an important legal decision tendered by the California Supreme Court, U.S.A. which is binding on the Search Engines, vital to the very presence of Internet.
A law suit was filed by two individuals in the year 2004 against the popular Search Engines � Google and Yahoo � that they allowed illegal ads from Bingo websites online as also other gambling Companies.� The individuals made a claim that the Search Engine Companies were liable for the losses of $100,000 they ran up, after finding the casinos advertised by Google and Yahoo.
The honourable Judge dismissed the charges in his verdict, saying that Search Engines are not liable for information provided by third parties.� He cited Communications Decency Act (CDA) in giving the ruling that as per this act (Section 230 of the CDA), Search Engines are immune from liabilities against particulars provided by the advertisements of third parties and refused claim for monetary damages.� He also ruled that since these Search Engines have stopped accepting advertisements two years ago, there is no ground for imposing any injunction.
In this context it is noteworthy that last year in December, Google, Yahoo and Microsoft settled another law suit by paying a total compensation of $31.5 million to the Justice Department, against a claim that they have published illegal gambling advertisements.
The break up is Microsoft Company paid $21 million (the majority of the amount going to social service organizations); Yahoo Search Engine paid $7.5 million and Google Search Engine paid $3 million.