The Centre on Monday issued an advisory to print, electronic and digital media to “refrain” from publishing or broadcasting advertisements on online betting platforms, citing that it poses “significant” financial and socio-economic risk for consumers that includes youth and children.
The fresh advisory by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting comes close on the heels of an earlier advisory on online gaming to TV channels on December 12, 2020, asking them to adhere to guidelines issued by the Advertising Standards Council of India on advertisements on online gaming.
The necessity of an advisory on online betting came as the Ministry found that a number of advertisements of online betting websites or platforms were appearing in print, electronic, social and online media.
The Ministry said the advisory has been issued in larger public interest advising the print and electronic media to refrain from publishing advertisements of online betting platforms. It has also advised the online and social media, including the online advertisement intermediaries and publishers, to not display such advertisements in India or target such advertisements towards the Indian audience.
“Betting and gambling is illegal in most parts of the country and concerns have been expressed that advertisements of online betting promote an activity, which is otherwise largely prohibited and poses significant financial and socio-economic risk for the consumers, especially youth and children,” the fresh advisory said.
“Further, 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 advertisements norms under the Norms of Journalistic Conduct laid down by the Press Council of India…a reference to which has also been made in the IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021,” it said.
According to the guidelines on online gaming issued by the Advertising Standards Council of India, which is effective from December 15 last year, no gaming advertisement can depict any person under the age of 18 years or who appears to be below 18 years engaged in playing an online game for money or suggest that they can play these games.
The Council also said that disclaimers about the financial risks involved should be published or broadcast in print and audio-video media.
The advertisement should also not present online games as an income opportunity or an alternative employment option besides not suggesting that a person engaged in gaming activity is in any way more successful than others.