The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) has banned 413 advertisements by foreign betting platforms since January by citing violations of advertising norms for real-money games (RMG).
The self-regulatory body is also observing 12 more ads for potential non-compliance and has reported the flagged cases to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
Between April 2023 and March 2024, ASCI identified a total of 1,336 advertisements violating its online gaming guidelines, including 492 related to RMG. The council has formed a dedicated monitoring cell to track and report offshore betting and gambling ads that breach its code. This aims to enhance compliance within the industry.
In a huge move, ASCI recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with key gaming industry bodies, including the All India Gaming Federation (AIGF), the Federation of Indian Fantasy Sports (FIFS), and E-Gaming Federation (EGF). This joint collaboration plans to curb the proliferation of illegal betting ads and promote responsible advertising practices.
Manisha Kapoor, chief executive officer (CEO) and secretary general, ASCI, raised concerns over the growing popularity of betting and gambling games, saying“Indian consumers are exposed to numerous ads of offshore betting and gambling companies that have no accountability in India. Several Indian celebrities too have been a part of such advertisements. Since gambling ads are prohibited in most parts of the country, their large-scale presence is a breach of the law.”
Neil Castelino, CEO of FIFS said, “We are committed to adopting the global best standards in responsible advertising, and through this collaboration, we hope that Indian consumers are not exposed to illegal platforms in the guise of online gaming while promoting responsible advertising practices amongst the Indian RMG industry.”
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