Government issues advisory against advertisement of online betting platforms

New Delhi: Information and Broadcasting Ministry yesterday advised media to refrain from transmitting advertisements and promotional content of online Betting platforms. The Ministry has issued an advisory to Newspapers, Private Satellite Television Channels, digital media and online advertisement intermediaries in this regard. It said that betting and gambling is an illegal activity and hence the advertisements and promotion of such activities directly or indirectly on media platforms falls foul of the various statutes.

 

The Ministry has issued this advisory in the wake of recent



instances where news publishers published advertisements of betting sites, which are clearly a violation of various norms and guidelines issued by it. It is also noticed that some of the news publishers have carried advertisements of a betting platform in which the audience is being encouraged to watch a sports league on its platform. 

The Ministry said, if any media organization was found not to be adhering to the advisory, the government would be constrained to take appropriate action under the various statutes.