Google Responds to I&B Ministry Directive; Confirms It Does Not Permit Illicit Online Gambling Ads

Google & I&B Ministry
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  • Attreyee Khasnabis December 8, 2022
  • 3 Minutes Read

The Indian government’s efforts to stop all illicit online gambling advertisements on media platforms have been going strong. In the latest update, the Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Ministry has directed Google to stop displaying surrogate ads of betting companies like Betway, Fairplay, PariMatch, and 1xBet on its platforms, citing gambling in any form, be it online or offline, is illegal in India.

The multinational tech giant has responded to the directive, claiming that it prohibits online gambling advertisements.

The latest guideline was issued by the Ministry in October after it noted violations of a previous advisory in June, as some online offshore betting platforms had started using news websites as surrogates to advertise betting platforms on television channels.

The Consumer Affairs Department also informed the Ministry that online betting platforms were advertising themselves as professional sports blogs, sports news websites, etc. while providing an indicative list of online betting platforms that used a news website front for surrogate advertising. In other words, these offshore betting platforms were advertising themselves as ‘professional sports blogs’ and ‘sports news websites’ while primarily operating as betting platforms.

The Indian government has been working aggressively in recent months to curtail online betting and gambling in the country, as concerns from the socio-economic, financial, and security angles remain. The I&B Ministry has been playing a crucial role in this regard.

This news comes days after recent media reports revealed the government’s planned regulation of online gaming would apply to all real-money games. The Prime Minister’s office recently rejected a proposal to leave out games of chance.

 

I&B Ministry Begins Crackdown on Gambling Ads

The I&B Ministry’s unrelenting crackdown on gambling began in 2020 when it issued an advisory asking private TV channels to follow the published guidelines by the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) on online gaming and fantasy sports advertisements. The guidelines require all online gaming ads to flash disclaimers on the financial risk of playing for real money and come into effect from December 15.

Two months ago, the Ministry reached out to OTT platforms, digital publishers, and TV channels, asking them not to show advertisements promoting online betting sites. The government said online betting poses a significant socio-economic and financial risk for consumers. Online betting platforms or news websites are not registered under any legal authority in India.

A week later, in compliance with the advisory, Sony ended its year-long contract with Parimatch, while Star Network decided to do a compliance audit.

 

Google Comes Under I&B Ministry Scanner

In a move to curb illegal online gambling, the Indian government has asked Google to stop displaying surrogate ads of overseas betting companies, namely Fairplay, PariMatch, Betway, and 1xBet, in search results and on YouTube. A similar directive by the government blocked the domains of all such betting platforms in India.

The Ministry sent Google India a letter asking them to immediately drop all direct or surrogate advertising from the above-mentioned betting platforms.

The All India Gaming Federation (AIGF) welcomed the Ministry’s decision for stringent advisories against offshore gambling advertisements. “While actions from MIB (Ministry of Information & Broadcasting) have substantially reduced this advertising on TV channels and OTTs, these anti-national platforms are still advertising heavily on all major social media platforms, online advertising platforms of big tech, and using major sports and entertainment personalities,” it said on Wednesday.

 

Google Responds

On Wednesday, December 7, Google released a statement claiming that, in accordance with Indian law, it does not allow advertisements on online gambling.

In response to directives from the I&B ministry, a spokesperson from Google said, “In line with our Ads Policies, and with the local laws and regulations applicable, we do not allow any advertisements that promote online gambling.”

“Across our ads systems, we have strict policies in place to stop violations, and we take quick action if we are informed about violative ads,” the spokesperson added.

While the government has been going strong with its crackdown, the I&B Ministry’s particular scrutiny is not on prohibiting ‘games of skill’ like rummy and poker. In September, Google launched a one-year ‘Pilot Program,’ allowing India-based real money daily fantasy sports and online rummy apps on its Play Store.

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