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The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) has released a whitepaper titled "Examining Opinion Trading in India", bringing much-needed attention to the rapidly growing but largely unregulated sector of opinion trading or prediction markets. The report urges regulatory clarity to address potential financial risks and advertising ethics surrounding these platforms.

According to data cited by the National Initiative for Consumer Interest (NICI), opinion trading platforms currently boast over 50 million users and see transactions exceeding ₹50,000 crore annually. These platforms allow users to place monetary bets on binary outcomes of real-world events, such as sports results or political developments.

Globally, such platforms are regulated either under financial instruments or gambling laws. In India, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) issued an advisory on April 29, 2025, cautioning the public that opinion trading does not fall under its regulatory purview, as it does not involve trading of securities.

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/gaming-news/opinion-trading-platforms-sportsbaazi-probo-tradex-banned-in-chhattisgarh-64735.htm">Read More: Opinion Trading platforms SportsBaazi, Probo, TradeX banned in Chhattisgarh</a>

ASCI has observed a surge in promotional activity from both domestic and international platforms, with influencers frequently marketing opinion trading as skill- and knowledge-based gaming. However, the whitepaper warns that many such advertisements could be misleading and amount to pure speculation, posing serious financial risks—especially to young and financially vulnerable users.

The watchdog emphasized the urgent need for regulatory direction. “If such activities are permitted by law, advertising guidelines must be developed to protect consumers. If not, all stakeholders must work to ensure that unlawful advertising is monitored and penalized,” ASCI stated.

ASCI’s whitepaper includes a survey of international advertising self-regulators, revealing a fragmented global regulatory approach. While some countries treat opinion trading as gambling and block such apps, others regulate them as financial instruments under commodity trading laws.

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/gaming-news/breaking-sebi-flags-illegal-opinion-trading-platforms-warns-public-to-stay-away-63788.htm">Read More: SEBI flags 'illegal' opinion trading platforms, warns public to stay away</a>

In India, the situation remains murky. During routine ad monitoring, ASCI encountered numerous advertisements from platforms like Probo, SportsBaazi, and TradeX that allow users to place bets on outcomes such as cricket match results—activities that appear to be speculative in nature.

Some platforms, like Probo, market themselves as skill-based platforms where users make predictions on upcoming events and earn rewards for correct answers. Others, such as SportsBaazi, even allow users to “buy stocks” in players based on performance metrics. Influencers have also been actively promoting such platforms on social media, often claiming they are legal and reliable—despite the absence of clear legal validation.

The state of Chhattisgarh recently banned Probo, SportsBaazi, and TradeX under the Chhattisgarh Gambling Prohibition Act, following a public interest litigation. This move reflects growing concerns around the legal and ethical implications of opinion trading.

Manisha Kapoor, CEO & Secretary General of ASCI, said, “Opinion trading platforms raise serious concerns as their structure and mechanics closely resemble betting in some instances, and can expose consumers to significant financial risk. The advertising that accompanies these platforms often heightens the risk, with exaggerated claims of easy winnings and false assurances of reliability. No disclaimers cautioning consumers are provided. ASCI’s whitepaper highlights these risks and urges urgent regulatory clarity so appropriate steps can be taken to protect consumers from potential harm.” 

ASCI plans to escalate any questionable advertising it encounters to the relevant regulators for legal evaluation. The council also emphasized that if opinion trading is legally sanctioned in the future, advertisements must include appropriate disclaimers—similar to those required in the real-money gaming sector.

The whitepaper states, "ASCI plans to escalate all such advertisments that it comes across to the regulators, for them to decide upon the legality of such advertisements. In addition, should the regulator or courts clarify that such advertisements are legally permitted, it is important to maintain the warnings and disclaimers that are required for real money gaming. These are absent in the advertisements that ASCI has come across in its monitoring effort."

ASCI has come across ads of several opinion trading platforms where the gaming format appears to be based on pure speculation, such as predicting the outcome of a live sporting event. Predicting match wins appears to be one of the most common forms of opinion trading. 

The report added, that the advertising viewed and analysed there is a sense that these involve an element of risk because there are chances of financial losses. The question of whether these are to be viewed as knowledge or skill based games or games based on pure speculation remains unanswered.

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/gaming-news/digital-satta-in-disguise-legal-heat-intensifies-for-opinion-trading-apps-sportsbaazi-probo-tradex-65981.htm">Read More: Digital Satta in disguise: Legal heat intensifies for Opinion Trading apps SportsBaazi, Probo & TradeX</a>

ASCI flags risks of Opinion Trading, warns of misleading advertisements

The Real Money Gaming (RMG) industry is calling for legal action against actress Urvashi Rautela for endorsing the illegal gambling and betting website 1xBet. Despite multiple government guidelines, the actress continues to violate regulations by appearing in advertisements for an illegal gambling and betting company, industry stakeholders said. 

Earlier, Urvashi Rautela had received a backlash for promoting another illegal betting and gambling platform, Lotus365. Moreover, multiple celebrities including Rautela were under scanner of the government for promoting Mahadev Online Book, an illegal betting company. 

With multiple sports IPs round the corner, illegal betting and gambling companies are aggressively advertising on multiple mediums in the country. 

Legal Concerns Over Endorsements

Jay Sayta, Technology & Gaming Lawyer, stated, "There are several ongoing instances of false and misleading advertisements by illegal offshore betting websites, endorsed by Indian celebrities, despite multiple advisories from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting warning media houses against publishing such advertisements."

Sayta added, "Appropriate action could be taken against endorsers, publishers, and companies facilitating such false and misleading advertisements under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019. This may include banning such endorsers from promoting any other products or services in the future, as well as initiating criminal prosecution if they fail to comply with the CCPA’s directives."

Additionally, celebrity endorsers may also face charges under state gaming laws, many of which prohibit the publication and advertisement of illegal online gambling activities, Sayta noted.

Failure of ASCI 

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting issued an advisory urging endorsers and social media influencers to refrain from promoting or advertising offshore online betting and gambling platforms, including surrogate advertisements, in any form.

The advisory warned, “Failure to comply with the above may result in legal proceedings under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, removal or disabling of social media posts/accounts featuring such promotional content, and penal action under applicable statutes.”

Sandeep Goyal, Managing Director at Rediffusion, criticized the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI), stating, "ASCI is a toothless body. It has never been able to enforce guidelines, allowing individuals to circumvent rules without consequences. I have had a long-standing battle with ASCI over surrogate advertising, but the watchdog has always been lax and looked the other way. Now, it’s happening again with betting. So, no surprises. ASCI is just not serious about most matters—they preach but don’t really act."

When asked if ASCI would report the matter to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB), Manisha Kapoor, General Secretary and CEO of ASCI, responded, "ASCI continuously monitors advertisements related to illegal offshore betting and gambling. We have established a dedicated monitoring cell focused on identifying and reporting violations, including offshore betting and gambling advertisements."

"Following a thorough review, any guideline violations or suspicious activities are escalated to the MIB and other relevant administrative ministries. ASCI has also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with various online gaming associations, including AIGF, EGF, and FIFS, to actively monitor and report any violations by illegal offshore gaming companies," Kapoor added.

Industry Backlash and Government Involvement

Multiple RMG operators have criticized ASCI for failing to proactively report advertising violations. "Legal action should be taken against Urvashi Rautela for flouting norms. While ASCI has collaborated with gaming federations, they have failed as a watchdog in curbing advertisements of illegal betting and gambling platforms." 

The All India Gaming Federation (AIGF) plans to escalate the issue to the government. Roland Landers, CEO of AIGF, stated, "AIGF remains committed to promoting responsible digital advertising and ensuring compliance with government and ASCI guidelines. Through our MoU with ASCI, we actively collaborate to monitor and address illegal and offshore betting and gambling advertisements."

Landers further emphasized, "Despite multiple advisories, offshore operators continue to advertise in India, often using celebrity endorsements, which can mislead consumers and pose significant risks to user safety. AIGF will report this matter, along with other related issues, to the relevant authorities as part of our ongoing efforts to curb such promotions and protect consumer interests."

Storyboard18 reached out to actress Urvashi Rautela for a comment, but she declined to respond.

Actor Urvashi Rautela under scanner for promoting illegal gambling platforms

The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) will report Roobet, an illegal gambling and betting platform endorsed and partnered with by American rapper Snoop Dogg, to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Storyboard18 previously reported that Roobet falsely misused the brand names of the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI)-led Unified Payments Interface (UPI), not only claiming them as partners but also using them for illicit transactions.

Storyboard18 highlighted the misuse of the UPI brand name by illegal gambling and betting companies to lure Indian users onto their platforms.

Manisha Kapoor, CEO & Secretary General of ASCI, responded to Storyboard18, stating, "We will be reporting the matter to MIB. We have a three-member dedicated team that tracks and monitors advertisements for illegal betting and gambling companies."

Kapoor said, "We report advertisements promoting illegal offshore betting platforms to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB)."

Additionally, ASCI's monitoring cell will use tracking software to identify such violations across various media platforms, including Facebook and Instagram Sponsored Ads via Meta Library Search, Facebook and Instagram pages, website screenings, OTT platforms, and e-commerce platforms.

Roobet, a Cyprus-based illegal betting and gambling company endorsed by American rapper Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr., better known as Snoop Dogg, falsely claims UPI as one of its partners. Similarly, Raja Bets, a Curacao-based betting firm, continues to misuse the NPCI-led UPI brand name to attract Indian users.

In March 2023, Snoop Dogg partnered with Roobet and its parent company, Raw Entertainment, and was appointed Chief Ganjaroo Officer at Roobet.

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/gaming-news/upi-brand-name-abused-by-offshore-betting-platforms-to-lure-indian-users-57675.htm">UPI brand name abused by offshore betting platforms to lure Indian users</a>

Akshat Khetan, Founder of AU Corporate Advisory and Legal Services, said, "Using UPI and NPCI brand names to promote betting and gambling platforms is illegal because it misleads users into believing these platforms are officially recognized or endorsed by India’s financial regulators. Under the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007, and the Information Technology Act, 2000, such misrepresentation qualifies as fraudulent and deceptive."

Recently, ASCI signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Federation of Indian Fantasy Sports (FIFS), the All India Gaming Federation (AIGF), and the E-Gaming Federation (EGF). Since the MoU took effect in January 2025, ASCI has flagged 413 offshore betting ads to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

Indian state laws prohibit gambling and offshore betting activities, making advertisements for these activities illegal in these states. However, online real-money games (RMG) that rely primarily on skill are permitted by most state laws, and their advertising is therefore allowed. Many offshore betting and gambling operators attempt to portray themselves as legally permitted gaming companies, highlighting the need to identify and escalate such advertisements to regulators.

Storyboard18 reached out to NPCI for a comment regarding brand violations and the illegal use of UPI for transactions. However, the spokesperson was unavailable for comment.

Think Change Forum (TCF), an independent think tank, had released a report titled “State of the Betting and Gambling Industry in India.” According to the report, the offshore sports betting market receives an estimated $100 billion annually in deposits from India and has been growing at 20 percent per year in the last three years post-pandemic.

The report further observes that under the new GST regime, despite best enforcement efforts, the illegal offshore betting industry will continue to grow at 20% at the least, leading to a tax loss figure of Rs 6,72,205 crore by 2026.

EXCLUSIVE: ASCI to report Snoop Dogg backed gambling platform ‘Roobet’ to MIB

The New Indian Consumer Initiative (NICI) and a coalition of leading consumer interest organizations have submitted a joint representation to the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology, the Securities and Exchange Board of India, the Advertising Standards Council of India, and the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Consumer Affairs, urging a ban on Opinion Trading platforms in India.

According to the representation, these platforms operate as pure betting services that mislead consumers through deceptive advertising, enticing them to engage in illegal and unauthorized activities while exposing them to financial and psychological risks.

The signatories of the representation, including Ramjibai Mavani, Former Member of Parliament and Founder of Rajkot Jilla Grahak Suraksha Mandal, and Prof. Dr. Duraisingam, Chairman of Consumer Research, Education, Action, Training & Empowerment (CREATE), highlight the significant consumer harm posed by these betting platforms, particularly due to misleading advertisements that portray Opinion Trading Platforms as investment opportunities.

Abhishek Kumar, Convenor of NICI, stated, “Through this joint representation, we urge the government to prohibit opinion trading in India and take decisive action, including issuing interim measures to prevent consumer harm, banning digital and social media advertisements, and prohibiting app stores, cloud service providers, and payment gateways from supporting these platforms. We also urge the Central Consumer Protection Authorities to investigate misleading claims and call on law enforcement agencies to freeze assets linked to these platforms."

According to NICI, Opinion trading platforms allow users to wager money on real-world event outcomes, mimicking financial markets while fundamentally operating as gambling and betting services. With an estimated trading volume exceeding ₹50,000 crore annually and more than five crore Indian users, these platforms misrepresent themselves as skill-based games or investment platforms. However, the binary nature of these wagers makes them predominantly chance-based, raising concerns about their legality under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, which prohibits unauthorized betting and gambling.

The representation further raised a major concern on the misleading advertising used by these platforms, which often implies regulatory oversight and employs financial terms like “Auto Profits” and “Stop Loss” to create the illusion of structured investments. Many advertisements, including influencer promotions, falsely portray earnings as risk-free, potentially violating ASCI and CCPA guidelines on deceptive promotions. Beyond financial losses, these platforms can harm users' well-being, leading to stress, compulsive behavior, and the normalization of gambling culture—especially among economically vulnerable groups.

With several countries now enforcing strict regulations or outright bans on opinion trading, the coalition urges the ministries to take swift action to protect consumer rights, including the right to be informed, heard, educated, and safeguarded.

Consumer advocacy groups demand ban on opinion trading platforms in India

The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has released a draft outlining self-governance guidelines for the e-commerce industry. BIS will accept comments from stakeholders until February 15. Interestingly, the draft guidelines address advertising practices on e-commerce platforms and mandating adequate disclosures on e-commerce websites and apps.

The draft, titled “E-Commerce: Principles and Guidelines for Self-Governance,” lays out essential principles and provides guidance for the self-governance of e-commerce operations, aiming to benefit both consumers and other stakeholders involved in the e-commerce business.

According to a recent EY-FICCI report, e-commerce platforms generated advertising revenue of INR 70 billion, accounting for over 14% of total digital advertising (compared to 12% in 2020). This figure is expected to reach INR 150 billion by 2025.

The draft covers various aspects of e-commerce, including information disclosure, product and service information display, returns and refunds, handling counterfeit goods, measures against the sale of banned products, and more.

The guidelines emphasize that every e-commerce entity must ensure the authenticity of all sellers, service providers, and products on their platform. BIS states that consumers engage with these platforms due to the trust they inspire. Additionally, the consumer shopping experience is influenced by the platform’s business partners.

Regarding advertising, the draft states that advertisements or sponsorships must be clearly identifiable as such and distinguished from other content, including editorial comments, terms and conditions, and independent product reviews. It also highlights that product displays must comply with regulations and guidelines such as those from FSSAI, Legal Metrology Rules, and ASCI.

The draft mandates that all disclosures must be provided in a phased manner, ensuring relevant information is available at every stage of the consumer’s decision-making process. Disclosures should be prominently published on the platform, website, or app in a clear, legible, and accessible format.

According to a study by RedSeer Consulting, over 90% of brands in India participate in e-commerce festival season sales. The study also revealed that the average brand allocates over 10% of its annual advertising budget to these sales.

Interestingly, BIS places responsibility on e-commerce platforms to obtain confirmations from sellers, ensuring that product descriptions, images, and other content accurately reflect the appearance, nature, quality, purpose, and features of the specific product or service. Platforms are also required to take appropriate action when discrepancies are brought to their attention.

The draft further requires e-commerce entities to periodically review all sellers and ensure that their representations are authentic and accurate.

Emphasizing the importance of fair representation, the BIS document states that the default digital representation of sellers should be impartial and based on pre-determined parameters, such as reviews and prices.

The document also specifies that platforms must provide a clear explanation of the primary parameters used to rank goods or services. Terms and conditions governing relationships with sellers and any differentiated treatment provided to certain goods, services, or sellers must be transparently disclosed.

As per a report by Mordor Intelligence, India’s e-commerce market size is projected to grow from USD 137.21 billion in 2025 to USD 363.30 billion by 2030, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 21.5% during the forecast period.

BIS will add formal clauses in future after seeking adequate consultation from the stakeholders.

BIS draft guidelines streamlines advertising standards on e-commerce platforms

Donald Trump's victory in the U.S. Presidential election has had a ripple effect on the cryptocurrency boom in India. Cryptocurrency companies have increased their advertising budgets by 20% and are actively collaborating with social media influencers. However, these influencers are blatantly disregarding strict guidelines established by the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI).

According to ASCI guidelines, all virtual digital asset-related advertisements released on or after April 1, 2022, must include the disclaimer, "Crypto products and NFTs are unregulated and can be highly risky. There may be no regulatory recourse for any loss from such transactions." This disclaimer must appear in promotional content across print, video, and audio mediums.

Despite these regulations, ASCI reported that over 400 cryptocurrency advertisements featuring influencers violated their guidelines in 2022. 

Storyboard18 discovered numerous promotional posts on platforms like YouTube and Instagram that lacked the required disclaimers. For example: Lakshay Chaudhary, a leading YouTuber with 3.05 million subscribers, promoted CoinSwitch in a video on November 20, 2024, without any disclaimers.

TheFinancialYogi, an Instagram account with 41.8k followers, shared a video endorsing iForex Crypto, again without disclaimers.

Money Tech, a YouTube channel with 153k subscribers, posted a Shorts video promoting Binance, urging users to download the app and earn money, with no mention of the associated risks.

Why Influencers Omit Disclaimers

Rohit Aggarwal, Co-founder and CEO, Alpha Zegus said, “There are two reasons behind influencers not including disclaimers in their promotional videos and posts. The primary being that the brand and agencies discourage influencers to add disclaimers as that reduces engagement and people skip the commercial portion of the video.” 

Aggarwal further said, “Cryptocurrency is a sensitive topic in Indian ecosystem and when such disclaimers are added by influencers, this leads to government scrutiny when keywords are searched on social media platforms, this also leads influencers to refrain from adding disclaimers on promotional posts for crypto companies.” 

Aggarwal noted, “Crypto brands target influencers on the basis of cult following of an influencer rather than the quality. Such influencers make their followers download the crypto apps and invest money. Certain ‘army’ of followers blindly follow influencers and brands are banking on such cult followings.” 

Lured by monetary gains 

Influencers with 10,000 to 50,000 followers charge ₹20,000–₹50,000 per promotion, while mid-tier influencers with 50,000 to 500,000 followers charge ₹50,000–₹200,000. Top-tier influencers command between ₹2 lakh and ₹1 million. Celebrity influencers charge Rs 1.5 million and upwards. 

Shudeep Majumdar, CEO and Co-founder of Zefmo Media, an influencer marketing firm said, “Today many influencers are lured by the monetary benefits that cryptocurrency companies and startups offer leading to ignoring strict regulations set by ASCI for financial endorsements. Lure of money lead these influencers to indulge in such malpractices.” 

Majumdar noted, “Minimal enforcement to curb such incidents is another reason that influencers violate ASCI norms and endorse cryptocurrency brands without any disclaimers. We have seen a steady rise in influencer marketing campaigns of crypto brands post Donald Trump’s victory in US Presidential elections.” 

Majumdar further explained the reason behind sudden boom in crypto brands indulging in influencer marketing campaigns, “There are always market speculations post certain milestones in the global markets and both marketers and influencers try to leverage the situation and clearly indicating the rise of crypto advertisements. We keep a distance from working with such brands to ensure that we abide by the law of land.”

Will ASCI take a tough stance? 

Experts estimate that crypto exchanges contributed over ₹200 crore to advertising expenses in 2021, with over ₹90 crore spent during the IPL. However, in 2022, government-imposed regulations—such as a 30% tax on crypto investments and a 1% TDS on transactions—led most crypto companies to shy away from high-profile marketing.

A Digital marketing agency founder with a clientele of two cryptocurrency brands on condition of anonymity said, “Lately we have seen our clients in the cryptocurrency space seeking influencer led campaigns. Digital marketing spends have increased by 20-30 percent. Social media influencers inorder to increase engagement refuse to add disclaimers in the video. We always suggest influencers to use legitimate ways to fulfill their reach and engagement targets.” 

With influencers blatantly violating ASCI norms and promoting cryptocurrency brands, it is time that the self regulatory body takes tough measures to curb such violations. Storyboard18 reached out to ASCI for a comment but did not receive any official response.

Influencers push crypto ads in rampant violation of ASCI guidelines

The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) will report the gambling and betting company Melbet’s advertisement aired on B4U Music. Additionally, B4U Television Network India Limited has blacklisted the marketing agency that paid for the advertisement’s telecast.

On September 25, Storyboard18 reported that despite the ban on advertisements for illegal betting and gambling firms, B4U Music aired ads for Melbet, an offshore betting and gambling company allegedly involved in money laundering and operating in India.

In its half-yearly complaint report for 2024-25, ASCI revealed that 93% of scrutinized advertisements came from digital platforms, with 2,087 flagged for direct legal violations. The top five categories with the highest violations were real estate (34%), illegal betting (29%), healthcare (8%), personal care (7%), and food and beverage (6%).

Manisha Kapoor, Secretary General and CEO of ASCI, stated, “We have been flagging illegal betting/gambling ads of offshore companies to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB). Between April and September 2024, ASCI reported 890 illegal betting ads to the Ministry. The platform in question will be reported to the government.”

Furthermore, Infinite Entertainment, a Satara-based marketing firm that paid B4U Music for the advertisement, has been blacklisted by the channel, and all business operations with the firm have been terminated. Bhakti Patil, Founder of Infinite Entertainment, confirmed the development.

Storyboard18 reached out to Santosh Garg, Director of B4U Network Limited, for a comment, but he declined to respond.

It is noteworthy that on October 3, 2022, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting issued an advisory to private satellite TV channels, stating, “Betting and gambling are illegal activities in most parts of India. As per Paragraph 9 of the Guidelines for Prevention of Misleading Advertisements and Endorsements for Misleading Advertisements 2022, under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, since betting and gambling are illegal, advertisements for online offshore betting and gambling platforms are also illegal.”

The advisory further clarified, “Under the Advertising Code of the Cable TV Network Regulation Act, 1995, ads for betting platforms, being illegal activities, cannot be aired on TV channels.”

In March 2024, the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs issued a strict advisory banning the advertising, promotion, and endorsement of illegal activities such as betting and gambling, including those disguised as gaming. Under the Consumer Protection Act of 2019, the CCPA prohibits endorsements of illegal activities.

According to the 2021 Global Report on Corruption in Sport by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the illegal betting and gambling market is estimated to be worth $350 billion and $1.7 trillion, respectively.

The Think Change Forum (TCF), an independent think tank, published a report titled “State of the Betting and Gambling Industry in India.” It estimated that the offshore sports betting market receives $100 billion annually in deposits from India and has grown by 20% annually over the past three years since the pandemic.

Storyboard18 Impact: ASCI to report B4U Music's betting ad to MIB

With the festive season approaching, illegal betting and gambling platforms are aggressively advertising in India to acquire users. Despite the ban on advertisements of gambling and betting companies, B4U Music, one of India's leading music channels, aired advertisements of the betting and gambling company, Melbet.

On October 3, 2022, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting issued an advisory to private satellite TV channels stating, “Betting and gambling are illegal activities in most parts of India. As per Paragraph 9 of the Guidelines for Prevention of Misleading Advertisements and Endorsements for Misleading Advertisements 2022, under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, since betting and gambling are illegal, advertisements for online offshore betting and gambling platforms are also illegal.”

The advisory further clarified, “In this context, it is important to note that according to the Advertising Code under the Cable TV Network Regulation Act, 1995, ads for betting platforms, being illegal activities, cannot be aired on TV channels.”

The Advertisement Standards Council of India (ASCI) has declined to comment on the issue.

Storyboard18 also reached out to B4U Television Network India Limited for a statement. The story will be updated with the company's response. 

A spokesperson from a real-money gaming company stated, “Despite advisories issued by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) and other government bodies banning the advertisement of betting and gambling companies, popular TV channels like B4U Music are violating the law by airing ads of notorious betting firms.”

The spokesperson added, “Melbet is one of the notorious platforms involved in money laundering and tax evasion in our country. The government should take stringent action to curb such activities.”

The All India Gaming Federation (AIGF) has now decided to escalate the issue to the government. Roland Landers, CEO of AIGF, said, “We have advocated against offshore gambling platforms since our inception and have always maintained a zero-tolerance policy toward any activity promoting illegal gambling or betting. We are committed to supporting the government and law enforcement agencies in enforcing these prohibitions.”

Landers continued, “We have an active compliance and monitoring system. By working closely with our members, industry partners, and other stakeholders, we track trends and regularly report instances of illegal activities, including ads from unregulated platforms. While we do not have direct regulatory authority over broadcasters, we actively engage with stakeholders to ensure compliance with advertising laws and guidelines.”

In March 2024, the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA), under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, issued a strict advisory banning the advertising, promotion, and endorsement of such illegal activities, including betting and gambling disguised as gaming.

Under the Consumer Protection Act of 2019, the CCPA prohibits the endorsement of illegal activities such as betting and gambling.

According to the 2021 Global Report on Corruption in Sport from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the size of the illegal market for betting and gambling is estimated to be around $350 billion and $1.7 trillion, respectively.

Think Change Forum (TCF), an independent think tank, had released a report titled “State of the Betting and Gambling Industry in India.” According to the report, the offshore sports betting market receives an estimated $100 billion annually in deposits from India and has been growing at 20 percent per year in the last three years post-pandemic.

EXCLUSIVE: B4U to face music for airing illegal betting and gambling platform’s ads

The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) has identified and shared 700 ads from illegal betting and gambling companies with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) between April and August 2024. Storyboard18 recently reported that Real Money Gaming (RMG) players have claimed that offshore illegal gambling firms have been using the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) as a sporting platform for surrogate advertising.

In a letter to Sanjay Jaju, Secretary of MIB, Real Money Gaming (RMG) players raised concerns that illegal and offshore betting platforms like Melbet, Dafabet, Vegas11, Fun88, and 1xBet are engaging in surrogate advertising under names like Melbat, Dafanews, Vegas11 Sports News, Fun88 News, 1xbat, and Batery.AI.

The RMG operators also allege that Dafa News, a surrogate of Dafabet based in the Philippines, and Parimatch News, a surrogate of the betting platform Parimatch, based in Cyprus, are official partners of the PKL. Moreover, they claim that these platforms allow its users to place their bets on live PKL matches. 

In 2024, Pro Kabaddi League viewership crossed the 200 million mark during its 90th match, making Kabaddi the second sport after cricket to reach this milestone multiple times. The Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) Season 11 kicks off on October 18, 2024.

Manisha Kapoor, CEO and Secretary General of ASCI, said, “We have raised the issue of betting and gambling firms advertisements with the MIB. We report it to the government by sending them ad links. We have also noted that in some cases, the links are not active anymore and the content has been pulled off by the platforms on being directed to do so by the government.”

Kapoor added, “In the 2023-24 financial year, we identified 1,311 ads for illegal betting and gambling. From April to August 2024, we have shared 700 such ads with the government.”

An RMG operator, speaking anonymously, said, “We are pleased that the self-regulatory body, ASCI, is taking a strong stance on curbing promotions of illegal betting and gambling companies. The government should take stricter action after receiving such complaints. We also plan to meet with MIB through our gaming federations to request an advisory be issued to broadcasters and streaming platforms to curb the surrogate advertising of these platforms.”

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Monday that GST collection from online gaming has increased by 412% in six months since October 1, 2023, when a 28% tax was imposed on these services.

A spokesperson from another RMG company stated, “As an industry, we are paying taxes to the government, while these offshore illegal betting and gambling companies are growing their user base through surrogate advertising and marketing strategies. If this issue is not addressed, many RMG companies will be forced to shut down.”

During a media briefing, Sitharaman mentioned that revenue from online gaming has surged by 412%, reaching ₹6,909 crore in just six months. This amount is compared to the ₹1,349 crore collected before the notification on online gaming was issued.

ASCI escalates issue of illegal betting and gambling platforms' ads to MIB

FMCG giant Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) in its annual report declared that they witnessed an increase in consumer complaints related to advertisement in FY24 as compared to last year. In FY2022-23, 10 complaints were received while in FY24, 18 complaints were received. One complaint of FY23 is pending resolution at the end of the year. 

HUL’s annual report states, “We have a very robust mechanism to receive and address queries, feedback and complaints received from our consumers. We have reported above complaints in relation to ‘data privacy’, ‘advertising’, ‘cyber-security’, ‘delivery of essential services’, ‘restrictive trade practices’ and ‘unfair trade practices’

In FY 2020-21 HUL in its annual report, had disclosed that 28 complaints were filed against its ads with the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI). In FY 2021-22, 14 complaints were filed with ASCI. 

Hindustan Unilever in its results for the quarter and year ended March 31, 2024 stated that the ad and promotions spends increased to hit Rs 1616 crore in Q4. In the corresponding quarter in 2023 the advertising spends stood at Rs 1311 crore. For the year ended March 31, 2024, HUL recorded Rs 6489 crore in advertising and promotions expenses.

Hindustan Unilever Ltd on April 24 reported 6% fall in standalone net profit at Rs 2,406 crore for the fiscal fourth quarter as against Rs 2,552 crore in the year-ago period. The Company’s turnover for the financial year ended 31st March, 2024 was Rs. 59,579 crores as against turnover of Rs. 58,154 crores for the financial year ended 31st March, 2023.
