I find it a bit odd that I can opt into gambling ads but can't have Adsense on a gambling website. Same with sex and sexual ads.

I block a number of sensitive categories because I don't want to see them on my site. The way ad targeting works (or doesn't work) these days, you never know if you'll get an ad for gambling on a page for a church or and ad for Viagra on a page about the local kindergarten (just making up some example that would really turn off a great many viewers). Money or not, if you're dealing with family or community subject matter, I'd be careful with them but that's me and my set of sensibilities. "Sensitive" is a nice word for "risky" IMHO. Consider your audience would be my suggestion.

I have turned them off. I've seen users comment negatively about them.

WDR

I got one of those messages on my adsense panel today (those handy tips that usually say something totally obvious, like add more adverts). But i havent seen this one before. It was suggesting that i unblock dating and gambling ads from the "sensitive categories"

I get a chuckle out of some of these "suggestions" from Google. Like, how do you know these categories are "sensitive" and why would you want me to turn them on?

In the long run you have to look at your local geo (country) to determine if you are going to do that kind of advertising. Some countries might have laws against it.

I wish I could. Unfortunately the only sensitive category that shows is "birth control excluding abortion". Why that is showing on a financial site, or why I would want to block ads for contraceptives but allow those for abortions, or why I can block a category I have never seen on the site but cannot block those I do see are all beyond me.

I don't remember but I think the only ones I have blocked are "black magic" because... black magic.

I had a similar message. Like Webcentric I feel that certain categories may be offensive to my target demographic.

it would be handy if they limited all of these sensitive categories to just "interest-based" ads.

because then you could stick them on your site happy in the knowledge that they would only appear to people that it wouldn't offend (because they had visited that type of site before).

Its not just a matter of whether it is offensive to the visitors, but also appropriateness, effectiveness and image.

I did not turn off ads for contraceptives because people will find it offensive, but because I doubt an investment related website is an effective placement. The main reason that I would like to remove dating and gambling ads is that they look bad on my site - even if people have seen them on another site.

I did not turn off ads for contraceptives because people will find it offensive,

...

Huh? So you turned on the kill the babies ads for buck and don't worry about offending all the others? Cake and eat it, too? Hubris, my friend, from both sides of the mouth. Sorry for reply. Also sorry you chose that paradigm for your chat. And... after all that goes by, yet again a heads up and query as to how G knows what is "sensitive". Heck I might be a militant gnat on a pickle's ass, and thus offended.

There is wry humor involved in this. how many ;) (winkies) do I need apply?

I've blocked all of what I'd call "crap ad categories" (payday loans, debt consolidation, quack medical cures, etc.). Eric Schmidt famously described the Web as a "cesspool," and I want our readers to feel that they've found a pleasant little desert island in the Internet's vast sea of #*$!.

@tangor, problem with wry humour is I am not sure which bits to take seriously,

Firstly, I did turn off the ads, but the reason I did turn them off because they are irrelevant. I do not imagine many people would be offended by ads of contraceptives, but they are utterly irrelevant.

kill the babies ads

I assume this meant satirically, but the ads are for contraceptives EXCLUDING abortion.

I want our readers to feel that they've found a pleasant little desert island in the Internet's vast sea of #*$!.

Exactly what I want, but Google will not give me the option of blocking those ads by category, so I have to block them by URL which is painful.

Payday ads appear, and they are not even going to perform well - people with money to invest (or who are being paid to invest other people's money) are not going to want payday loans.

I do look at the impressions and earnings of each category, because just because I might see a miscreant ad doesn't mean everyone else is seeing it.

because I might see a miscreant ad doesn't mean everyone else is seeing it

It also doesn't mean you're the "only" one seeing it.

And while we're on the subject. I block ringtones and download ads but they still show up on my site. Apparently, the way to get around sensitive category blocking is for the advertiser to simply not associate their ad with the blocked category.

Like others, I have also received complaints about the dating ads in particular. They along with a few other categories will remain blocked for good.

I have a gambling site. I guess turning off gambling ads wouldn't be the smartest move.

Apparently, the way to get around sensitive category blocking is for the advertiser to simply not associate their ad with the blocked category.

The advertiser doesn't associate their ad with a category; Google does.

The advertiser doesn't associate their ad with a category; Google does. .

Thanks. I learned something new today. Question is, why isn't an ad containing a big fat "Download Now" button not categorized as a Downloadable? And if it's not a downloadable, then what the heck is it? Oh, maybe it's software but blocking that doesn't stop them either.

I don't know. I've never known what goes into assigning ads to categories.