India warns media outlets against advertising online betting
The Indian Ministry of Information and Broadcasting had told media outlets not to advertise online gambling platforms.
India.- India’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has issued a statement warning media outlets to stop all advertising for online betting platforms. The warning comes after several media outlets were found to be advertising online gambling platforms on their websites.
The authorities said these outlets were promoting and encouraging illicit activities, with serious financial and socioeconomic risks for consumers.
The statement read: “The 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 advertisement norms under the Norms of Journalistic Conduct laid down by the Press Council of India under the Press Council Act, 1978.”
The announcement comes amid a debate about the possibility of legalising gambling in India. A week ago, a seven-member team that includes state ministers was tasked to identify a nodal ministry to oversee the industry. Its responsibilities include developing regulatory mechanisms to protect players and business principles.
According to reports, the panel will pay particular attention to the legal and legislative frameworks used by other regulators in the world to help formulate policies that could be considered acceptable in areas of India where anti-gambling sentiment exists locally. The hope is that legalising gaming will help curb illegal offerings.
In the state of Tamil Nadu, chief minister Muthuvel Karunanidhi Stalin has set up a committee to investigate the impact of online gaming. Stalin decided to set up a committee after recent reports of women taking their own lives after losing money on online gambling.
