Social Media Platforms Continue To Run Betting Ads Flouting Govt Advisory

Despite the government’s repeated advisory, online betting and gambling portals have not stopped advertising on social media platforms. 

Many such apps including FairPlay and Appa Book, are being promoted on social media platforms including Instagram, Facebook and YouTube by high-profile personalities and micro-influencers, ET reported.

Moreover, many television actresses and internet personalities also fail to specify that the campaigns they are participating in are paid sponsorships or advertisements, violating influencer marketing guidelines.

These platforms have lakhs of followers on Instagram as well. For instance, FairPlay has more than 1.3 Lakh followers, Appa Book’s followers are over 1.5 Lakh.

Besides social media platforms, these apps are also advertising on popular messaging apps to gain customer access. For example, users get a message on WhatsApp with a photograph of some actors, singers, crickets wearing a T-shirt with FairPlay branding and a caption stating that FairPlay was ‘the choice of 1 Cr+ Indians’ after signing up on the platform.

Likewise, Appa Book’s offer includes giving a 2% bonus on creation of a new ID with a condition of 10 bets attached with the offer. 

Further, FairPlay posts about different matches taking place and encourages users to place bets on those matches in its Telegram group with 246.8k subscribers .

“Join Fairplay today and place your bets for a chance to win big! Don’t forget, with Fairplay, you get 5% lossback bonus on every match, 300% bonus on 1st deposit, and 50% bonus on 2nd deposit,” it said.

Earlier this month, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) advised media entities, media platforms and online advertisement intermediaries to refrain from carrying advertisements/promotional content of betting platforms.

The advisory was issued to all media formats, including newspapers, television channels, and online news publishers.

In February, the Indian government banned 138 Chinese betting apps as the apps in question were flouting Section 69 of the IT Act. The Centre also directed Google to stop overseas online betting platforms, such as Betway and 1xBet, from marketing their ads in the country late last year.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) also seized INR 212.91 Cr till December 2022 in connection with money laundering probes involving online gambling platforms.