The Information & Broadcasting Ministry has written to all States to take steps to curb outdoor advertising of betting and gambling platforms. The Ministry had earlier written to traditional media and online media players to ensure to refrain from publishing such ads.
In a letter to all the Chief Secretaries of States, the Information & Broadcasting Secretary Apurva Chandra stated, “Since betting and gambling is illegal in most parts of the country, they pose financial and social economic risk for the consumers, especially, youth and children.”
“While such advertisements have been largely curbed in mainstream print, electronic and digital media, it has now come to our 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 and apps in India,” he stated in the letter.
The Ministry’s letter asked States to “take appropriate action” to curb outdoor of advertisements of such apps and sites.
In its advisories issued earlier, the Ministry had asked private TV channels, print media, digital news publisher and OTT platforms to refrain from publishing and broadcasting ads of betting and gambling platforms. These advisories were issued after the Ministry noticed ads of betting and gambling platforms being broadcasted and published in print as well ad digital media.
“Such advertisements, were prima facie found to be be misleading and not in strict conformity with the Consumer Protection Act , 2019,” the Ministry noted.