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In Russia, Roskomnadzor's state online watchdog briefly added Internet search engine giant Google's local language portal to its list of banned websites last week because of a domain that displays links to banned sports betting websites.

Locals have been denied access to the Google Russian portal for about three hours because of a search engine that features links to domains on the official blacklist of U.S. illegal websites that currently operate under more than 6,000 names, according to a report quoting a Washington Times newspaper.

"Google was redirecting to a bookmaker who was on the tax office's restricted website register," Alexandr Zharov of Roskomnadzor told Interfax News Service. "Google met all the requirements, deleted everything, removed each from a single register."

Anonymous banned sports betting websites were reportedly banned under a tax ruling while newspapers claimed several major local Internet service providers, such as the TTC, had already begun restricting access to Google before Roscomnadzor made a decision to officially ban entry.

This is not the first time Google has agreed to pay a nearly $8 million fine in April after being convicted of abusing its dominant position in the local mobile application market. In addition, Google said it has signed a nearly seven-year deal to stop forcing local smartphone makers to install software.

In related news, Google was ordered to pay a $2.7 billion fine today after the European Commission ruled it abused its authority by promoting its own shopping comparison service at the top of its search results.

According to a report by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), the fine is the largest amount imposed by EU regulators as a result of an anti-competitive case. Cash must now be handed over within 90 days. Otherwise, Google could face additional fines, including having to pay the equivalent of 5% of the average daily global revenue of Alphabet's parent company. Google could pay it for $14 million a day.

"What Google has done is illegal under EU antitrust rules," European Commissioner for Competition Margrethe Vestager said in a statement. "It has deprived other companies of the opportunity to compete and innovate on their strengths, and above all, it has not benefited European consumers from competition, true choice and innovation."

The BBC previously reported that Google claimed that services operated by Amazon and eBay exert more influence on public spending habits, with services operated by Amazon and eBay now known to be considered by California companies for appeal.

"When you shop online, you want to find the product you want to find quickly and easily, and advertisers want to promote the same product," read a statement from Google released after the ruling. "That's why Google shows shopping ads. We respectfully disagree with the conclusions published today. We look forward to reviewing the [European] Commission's decision in detail and continuing the litigation while considering the appeal."