Concerned over increasing instances of betting and gambling advertisements, the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has issued an advisory warning celebrities and influencers to refrain from promoting such illegal activities.

Betting and gambling are strictly prohibited under the Public Gambling Act, 1867, and are considered illegal in the majority of regions across the country. Despite this, online betting platforms and apps persist in advertising betting and gambling directly, as well as under the guise of gaming, CCPA said in a statement.

“Endorsements of such activities present considerable financial and socio-economic implications, especially to the youth,” it added.

The advisory underscores the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting efforts in issuing various advisories to media platforms, cautioning them against publicising betting and gambling platforms. Online advertisement intermediaries have also been warned against targeting such advertisements toward the Indian audience.

It also highlights that the Guidelines for Prevention of Misleading Advertisements and Endorsements for Misleading Advertisements, 2022, categorically prohibit advertisements of products or services prohibited under any prevailing law.

“It reiterates that the guidelines apply to all advertisements, irrespective of the medium used and warns celebrities and influencers that any engagement in the promotion or advertisement of online gambling and betting, given its unlawful status, renders one equally liable for participating in an illegal activity,” the advisory read.

The CCPA also cautioned that any advertisement or endorsement of activities that are otherwise prohibited by law, such as but not limited to betting or gambling, will be subject to rigorous scrutiny.

If any violations of the guidelines are found, stringent measures will be initiated against those involved, including manufacturers, advertisers, publishers, intermediaries, social media platforms, endorsers, and any other relevant stakeholders, as per the Consumer Protection Act of 2019.

Earlier, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) also issued multiple advisories to curb outdoor advertisements of betting and gambling platforms.

Last year, MIB secretary Apurva Chandra had written to chief secretaries of all states and UTs to curb outdoor ads. In the letter, he noted that betting and gambling are illegal in most parts of the country as they pose financial and social-economic risks for consumers, especially youth and children.

India banned 138 offshore betting platforms last year. Later in the year, to curb illegal online gambling platforms, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) also attached INR 5.87 Cr from several individuals and entities under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002.