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No Advertising Crisis Says Expert at GIGSE in Toronto
(May 18, 2004 - CNVI.COM) Online gambling and gaming professionals from around the world are converging in Toronto this week for the Sixth Annual Global Interactive Gaming Summit & Expo May 17-19, 2004 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.
One of the best attended events was the marketing channel discussion where the advertising crisis in the United States was discussed. Internet gaming and advertising law attorney Lawrence Walters explained, "There is no advertising crisis." He went on to explain that the Justice Department is most likely first taking the pulse of the industry to check defenses and determine viability while creating a chilling effect on free speech. He went on to say, "There is no federal law prohibiting online gambling advertising and aiding and abetting has never been successfully used against traditional advertisers. The first amendment protects the advertising of legal conduct even if illegal where the ad airs."
Earlier this year, Justice department officials supoenaed US based portals and media outlets seeking information about advertising revenues and advertiser contact information. Various broadcasting and trade groups received notice letters. As a result, many websites have stopped accepting online gambling advertising revenue including Google and Yahoo.
For more information on advertising legal issues in the US, visit http://www.gameattorneys.com.
The Expo Hall at GIGSE becomes the world headquarters for dozens of international companies and associations involved in I-gaming. This year's event has over 50 companies exhibiting or sponsoring. Like the conference program, the expo hall has evolved with the industry and its complexion has changed to meet industry demands. This year's expo, for example, will feature an increased number of suppliers offering payment processing solutions. Legal services, industry associations, licensing jurisdictions, affiliate programs, hosting companies, geo-location technology developers and gaming software suppliers are also showcasing their products and services.
We're consistently hearing from people in the business that this is the ONE event that they're scheduling annually for their staff to attend," said River City Group CEO Sue Schneider. "In an industry as geographically diverse as this one, this is the one time each year when schedules can be packed with face-to-face meetings with suppliers, partners and customers. Our show floor includes the major players in the industry and the seminars are designed to cover the most critical issues to this growing industry."
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