Flouting govt directions, betting, gambling platforms continue to advertise

Advertising of online betting and gambling platforms continues to grow even after the government issued new gaming regulations prohibiting betting, The Economic Times (ET) reported.

These advertisements also go against the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Legal experts aware of the matter said, the guidelines directed media companies and firms engaged in the advertisement business not to carry advertisements that endorse participation in betting and gambling platforms.

The report added that apps such as Fairplay and Appa Book are being endorsed on social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. These advertisements involve high-profile celebrities apart from popular social-media influencers who have millions of followers.

In addition to online advertising, these illegal apps also run ad campaigns using messaging platforms to directly connect with the customers. Many of these advertisements feature famous personalities and do not declare that their campaign is a paid promotion.

Earlier, in a press release dated October 3, 2022, the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting had issued two advisories to stop the promotion of online betting and gambling platforms. The first advisory concerned private television channels and the other one was for digital news publishers and OTT platforms. The advisories 'strongly advised' them to refrain from promoting online betting sites and surrogate advertisement of such sites.
 

The Information and Broadcasting Ministry worked in coordination with the Department of Consumer Affairs to come up with the two advisories.