Industry welcomes Centre's advisory against surrogate advertisements

New Delhi, March 22: Industry players on Friday hailed the government's advisory against increasing instances of direct as well as surrogate advertisements and endorsements of activities.

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on Thursday advised all endorsers and influencers on social media to refrain from promoting or advertising, including surrogate advertisements, of offshore online betting and gambling platforms.

“This is a significant move to protect the players and industry at large from endorsements and ads that promote illicit gambling and betting platforms,” Anuraag Saxena, CEO, E-Gaming Federation, said in a statement.

E-Gaming Federation has been spearheading the efforts and constantly urged both federal ministries and state governments to curb the menace of these unscrupulous fly-by-night operators that have been flagrantly violating laws.

“We are committed to providing our full cooperation to the government in creating a standard framework that will support the growth of a regulated, sustainable sector that not only adheres to these advisories but also encourages responsible gaming,” Saxena added.

According to the ministry, these advertisements have significant financial and socio-economic implications of online betting and gambling on consumers, particularly the youth.

The advisory cautioned that failure to comply with it may lead to proceedings under the provisions of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, including removal or disabling of social media posts or accounts and penal action under the applicable statutes.

Social media intermediaries have also been advised to conduct sensitisation efforts among their users to refrain from publishing such content.