India Targets Influencers Promoting Online Gambling
The Indian government is stepping up its efforts to clamp down on social media influencers who promote online gambling.
India clamps down on influencers promoting online gambling.
LISTEN TO THIS ARTICLE:It is part of a move to curb unregulated betting activities throughout the country. India’s online gambling sector has seen rapid growth, reaching an estimated value of $2.7 billion in 2023, and influencers have played a key role in advertising these platforms to attract new players.
To protect consumers, particularly young people, authorities have started issuing warnings and initiating legal action against those endorsing online betting sites. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has made it clear that promoting gambling websites violates Indian law. Recent legal actions have targeted influencers who promote gambling on major platforms, including Instagram and YouTube.
Influencers Glamorizing Online Gambling
Influencers have become a key marketing tool for online gambling platforms. They promote casino games, as well as poker and rummy, to their large audiences, portraying the activity as glamorous while highlighting the potential of large cash prizes. At the same time, they downplay the dangers of addiction and financial loss. This strategy has enabled online gambling sites to expand their reach, especially during peak periods such as the cricket season, which tends to see a surge in betting activities.
In response, the MIB has issued advisories cautioning influencers against endorsing offshore gambling platforms. These advisories highlight that doing so is illegal under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules of 2021. Influencers who disregard these warnings risk facing severe consequences, including hefty fines and potential jail sentences.
Some states, such as Tamil Nadu, have adopted particularly stringent measures. The Tamil Nadu Online Gaming Authority (TNOGA) has issued notices to influencers involved in advertising gambling services. Violators can be subjected to heavy fines or even imprisonment for up to three years.
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Social Media Platforms Also Face Scrutiny
Social media platforms themselves have not escaped scrutiny. The Indian government has called on them platforms to strengthen their content moderation policies, urging them to better detect and remove gambling-related advertisements. Furthermore, there is a push for platforms to raise awareness about the dangers of gambling addiction and tighten the controls on unregulated gambling promotions.
The increasing presence of influencer-promoted gambling content raises wider concerns about its societal impact. Critics argue that influencers often fail to adequately highlight the risks associated with online gambling and create a misleading portrayal of online betting as an easy way to win money.
The current crackdown is part of a broader strategy by the Indian government to regulate online content that may harm public welfare. As legal actions against influencers and their platforms continue, the digital landscape for online gambling promotion is rapidly changing. The stricter regulations mean that influencers and social media companies must carefully adhere to legal requirements or face serious penalties.
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