The letter follows similar advisories issued by the MIB against advertisements run by online betting and gambling platforms on TV, print, and digital media, including social media intermediaries like Google, Facebook, and Twitter.
In his letter to the chief secretaries dated May 2, MIB secretary Apurva Chandra noted that online betting and gambling ads have been curbed in mainstream print, electronics, and digital media.
“While such advertisements have been largely curbed in mainstream print, electronic, and digital media, it has now come to the notice that some betting and gambling platforms have started using outdoor media such as hoardings, posters, banners, auto rickshaw branding, etc. to promote their websites/apps in India,” Chandra said.
He also requested the chief secretaries to ensure that appropriate action is taken to curb outdoor advertisements for betting and gambling platforms.
Offshore online betting platforms Fairplay, PariMatch, Betway, Wolf 777 and 1xBet have been advertising across TV, print, digital, and outdoor platforms through surrogate news websites. Many of them are also sponsoring on-ground properties to bypass the ad ban.
In 2020, the ad watchdog Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) issued guidelines for online gaming for real money winnings. The guidelines, which direct online gaming platforms to carry disclaimers about the risks associated with real-money games, came into effect on December 15.Subsequently, TV broadcasters were asked to comply with the ASCI guidelines. In 2022, the MIB issued an advisory asking TV, print, and digital media platforms to refrain from airing or publishing online betting ads.
In December last year, the ministry also directed Google to stop displaying betting ads. The tech giant Google had issued a statement claiming it does not allow any online gambling ads in accordance with local Indian laws.
The MIB noted betting and gambling are illegal in most parts of the country as they pose financial, and socio-economic risks for consumers. The ministry issued multiple advisories last year asking the media to refrain from publishing such advertisements. These advisories, the MIB said, have been reiterated on April 6.
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