To combat the increasing prevalence of online betting advertisements, the Indian government is set to introduce new regulations under the Information Technology Rules. These new guidelines will require publishers to comply with a Code of Advertisements.
The new mandate is expected to be incorporated into the “Digital Media Ethics Code Rules,” a segment within the IT Rules that primarily applies to publishers of news, current affairs content, and online curated material, as per a Moneycontrol report.
“The new norms under the digital media guidelines will mandate that advertisements should not go against the advertising code. We are going to soon release it,” a senior government official informed the publication.
The government has consistently emphasised adherence to the Code of Advertisement through a series of advisories sent to betting platforms.
Earlier this year, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) issued an advisory to curb outdoor advertisements of betting and gambling platforms.
MIB secretary Apurva Chandra has written a letter to chief secretaries of all states and UTs to curb outdoor ads. In the letter, he noted that betting and gambling is illegal in most parts of the country as they pose financial and social economic risk for consumers, especially youth and children.
Previously, MIB had advised media entities, platforms, and online advertising intermediaries to avoid hosting advertisements or promotional content related to betting platforms. Last October, the ministry had issued advisories directing online ad intermediaries not to target material related to online betting toward an Indian audience. The ministry warned of penalties for TV channels and OTT platforms in case of violations, although the amount of the penalty was not specified.
In February, the government banned 138 Chinese betting apps for violating Section 69 of the IT Act. Additionally, the Centre directed tech giants like Google to cease marketing ads for overseas online betting platforms such as Betway and 1xBet in India last year.
The Mahadev betting scam has recently come into the national spotlight, as the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed charges against its promoters and 12 others, with celebrities also under scrutiny.
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