I&B Ministry Bans Online Betting Ads

Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has today issued an advisory to print, electronic and digital media to refrain from advertising online betting platforms. The advisory comes in light of instances of a number of advertisements of online betting websites and platforms appearing in print, electronic, social and online media.

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.

“These offshore online gambling websites are not registered under the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017 and do not pay applicable direct and indirect taxes that is required to be paid under Indian law even by companies that do not have their registered office in India and are based outside the country. This blatant tax evasion by the gambling websites is resulting in loss of revenue of thousands of crores per annum to the government exchequer. ", said Mr. Roland Landers, CEO – The All India Gaming Federation, while reacting to the advisory issued by the Information & Broadcasting ministry. 

The advisory also adds that these advertisements on online betting have the effect of promoting this largely prohibited activity. “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 stated.

“We are delighted to see our persistent efforts against offshore gambling platforms come to fruition and would like to thank Ministry of Information & Broadcasting for initiating this step. In the last seven years, The All India Gaming Federation the apex industry body for the sunrise online gaming sector has been solely working towards creating awareness regarding the issue and pointing out that several offshore gambling websites are openly and brazenly advertising online gambling through TV Channels, internet, social media, hoardings and other digital media platforms. Furthermore, AIGF has been continuously engaging with various government stakeholders to educate them about the ills of illegal gambling and perils of allowing foreign gambling websites to continue unabated while urging for a regulatory framework for online skill gaming in India to realise Honourable PMO’s vision of an Aatmanirbhar Bharat.”, added Ronald. 

On 4th December, 2020, the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting had issued an advisory to Private Satellite TV channels to adhere to the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) guidelines on advertisements of online gaming which contained specific Do’s and Dont’s for print and audio-visual advertisements of online gaming.