MeitY warns against carrying advertisements on online betting platforms

The ministry of Information and Broadcasting has advised all stakeholders, including the media entities, online advertisement intermediaries and social media platforms, to refrain from showing advertisements or any promotional content on betting and gambling in any form. It has added that failure to adhere to this advisory may invite appropriate action from the government of India under various statutes.  

Through this move, the ministry aims to prevent both direct and surrogate advertising of games that may qualify as betting or gambling. 

“Advertisements of gambling or betting platforms not only pose significant financial and socioeconomic risk for the consumers, especially (the) youth and children, but have linkages to money laundering networks, thereby threatening the financial security of the country," the advisory issued read. 

It further said that advertisement intermediaries and social media platforms “have been allowing direct and indirect advertisements of betting and gambling platforms during major sporting events, including cricket tournaments… (with) tendency to spike promotion of such betting and gambling platforms during a major sporting event." 

The ministry had also issued similar advisories in June and October last year, as well as March this year.