'Financial Risk For Consumers': I&B Ministry Issues Advisory Against Ads Promoting Online Betting

It has advised the print and electronic media to abstain from publishing advertisements of online betting platforms.

Indian bookie counts the day's earnings at an archery club (Source: File photo/AFP)

New Delhi: The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on Monday issued an advisory to ban advertisements promoting online betting. The latest advisory comes in the light of instances of advertisements of online betting websites/platforms appearing in print, electronic, social and online media. The ministry said the advisory has been given in bigger public interest and comes in the illumination of examples of various notices of online betting websites/platforms appearing in print, electronic, social and online media.

📢 I & B Ministry issues 'Advisory on Advertisement of Online Betting Platforms'.

Print & Electronic Media advised to refrain from publishing ads of online betting platforms.

Online & Social Media advised not to display such ads in India.

Details👇https://t.co/zWxQ6SrOst pic.twitter.com/1jkTlG4NgA

— Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (@MIB_India) June 13, 2022

“Betting and gambling, illegal in most parts of the country, pose significant financial and socio-economic risk for the consumers, especially youth and children,” the advisory states.

It has advised the print and electronic media to abstain from publishing advertisements on online betting platforms. It has additionally prompted the online and social media, including on the web commercial mediators and distributors, to not show such promotions in India or target such ads towards the Indian audience.

“The advertisements of online betting are misleading, and do not appear to be in strict conformity with the Consumer Protection Act 2019, Advertising Code under the Cable Television Networks Regulation Act, 1995, and advertisement norms under the Norms of Journalistic Conduct laid down by the Press Council of India under the Press Council Act, 1978”, it has stated.

In December 2020, the ministry had given a warning to private satellite TV stations to comply with the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) rules on promotions of web-based gaming which contained explicit do's and dont's for print and general media ads of web-based gaming.