The information and broadcasting ministry issued a stern warning on Monday ordering satellite TV, streaming services like Netflix, Hotstar, and Amazon Prime Video, and other digital media to immediately stop airing advertisements promoting gambling and betting targeted at the Indian audience or face legal consequences.
The advise stated, "The Ministry has observed that promotional content and adverts of betting platforms are still present on several news platforms and OTT (over the top) platforms."
In most of India, betting and gambling are forbidden. According to the advisory, "it has been observed that since betting and gambling are illegal, advertisements of online offshore betting and gambling platforms are prohibited." This is in accordance with Paragraph 9 of the Guidelines for Prevention of Misleading Advertisements and Endorsements for Misleading Advertisements 2022 under the Consumer Protection Act of 2019.