Since our web site first appeared in 1996, AFANA has had a strict policy of not accepting certain types of advertisements. In part this was because we view this as family friendly site and do not want any content that is either offensive or inappropriate. There are also legal and practical reasons for this.
One particular type of advertisement we have stayed away from is anything to do with gambling, betting, card games, etc. We had legal advice early on, and it has proven to be good, that US law is harsh and unpredictable when it comes to online gambling and sports betting. Way too many websites have come under legal scrutiny in this area.The law is vague so we have foregone any revenue that might be generated by accepting such adverts.
This has proven particularly difficult since Australia permits and even the AFL promotes betting on matches via sponsorship and revenue deals. We think it no mistake that the AFL has issues policing something that the NFL, MLB, NCAA, NBA, and NHL want no part of. Giving up advertising revenue for a site like ours isn't easy since revenue is hard to come by even in these "digital" days.
Recently we were presented with a banner advertising opportunity that involved promotion of a tipping comp (something even we conduct ourselves) but which is sponsored by a betting agency. It was a gray area. Ultimately, the AFANA management team agreed to accept the advertising on a 3 month basis.You will see the advert in the right hand column on our high traffic pages incluiding the home and TV pages.
We wnated ou to know that we gave this serious thought before proceeding. We are interested in your feedback whether you agree or disagree with our decision. Your opinion matters to us and we will take it into consideration moving forward.
Article last changed on Thursday, May 02, 2013 - 1:16 AM EDT
