India's Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) issued an advisory on 3 October 2022 telling private television channels, digital news publishers and OTT platforms to refrain from showing advertisements of online betting sites and surrogate advertisements of such sites1. The Federation of Indian Fantasy Sports (FIFS), which describes itself as India's first and only dedicated fantasy sports self-regulatory industry body, welcomed the move1.
The advisory stated that betting and gambling are illegal in most parts of the country, and that advertisements of these betting platforms and their surrogates are therefore also illegal and should not be shown to Indian consumers1. It added that non-compliance may invite penal action for broadcasters1. The MIB cited the Consumer Protection Act 2019, the Cable TV Network Regulation Act 1995 and the IT Rules, 2021 as the basis for the advisories1.
The ministry said offshore betting websites use news as a surrogate product to advertise their betting platforms, particularly on digital media, and that in these cases there is a striking resemblance between the logo of the news platform and the betting website1.
"since betting and gambling is illegal in most parts of the country, advertisements of these betting platforms as well as their surrogates are also illegal and should not be shown to Indian consumers"
FIFS Director-General Joy Bhattacharjya said the ministry's step would ensure Indian citizens are educated about the risks on these platforms and do not get lured or trapped by them, and that FIFS hoped it would lead to further stringent action by other arms of government1. FIFS said it had previously emphasized the need to identify and prohibit offshore business activities to safeguard consumer interests1.
Separately, FIFS said it had recently revised and strengthened its charter. It described the Fantasy Sports Regulatory Authority (FSRA) as an independent self-regulatory body promoting standardized best practices in fantasy sports, chaired by Justice (Retd.) A.K. Sikri, a former judge of the Supreme Court of India, with Justice (Retd.) Mukul Mudgal, former Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, and Justice (Retd.) G.S. Sistani, former judge of the Delhi High Court, as panel members1.
What it means for players
The advisory targets advertising, not play, and it names television channels, digital news publishers and OTT platforms rather than players. For anyone in India who bets or plays fantasy sports, the practical effect described is on what they see: fewer direct advertisements for betting sites, and fewer surrogate promotions that present a news brand whose logo closely resembles a betting site's1. The MIB's position, as reported, is that such advertising is illegal because betting and gambling are illegal in most of India, and that broadcasters who carry it may face penal action1. The advisory does not set out any penalty for individual bettors, and no enforcement action against players is reported in the coverage of it1. FIFS, which represents fantasy sports operators and not betting sites, framed the move as consumer protection and as a separation between what it calls legitimate and illegitimate operators in the online gaming ecosystem1.
What happens next
No dated next steps are reported. The advisory itself carries no compliance deadline in the coverage, and no further government action beyond it has been reported1. FIFS said it was hopeful the initiative would lead to further stringent action on offshore betting operators by other arms of the government, but no such action has been announced1.
For background on how betting and gambling are treated in India, see Can I Gamble in India? and Can I Bet on Sports in India?. The wider regional picture is set out in Gambling Laws in Asia: What Is Legal in 12 Jurisdictions and Is Sports Betting Legal in Asia?. For the segment FIFS represents, see Is Paid Fantasy Sports Legal in Asia? and Fantasy Sports in India After the Ban.
