The All India Gaming Organization on Tuesday welcomed the new government advisory against showing ads for online pay-to-earn sites on any TV and digital media platforms.

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on Monday gave two advisories asking private TV channels, digital news publishers, and OTT platforms to shun showing ads on online pay-to-earn sites. It has likewise asked the channels to stop publishing surrogate ads from such illegal sites.

Roland Landers, chief executive officer of The All India Gaming Federation (AIGF), said, “We are grateful to the government for taking such a decisive step against illegal offshore gambling websites, which have been advertising in India in the garb of surrogate news and sports websites. “The AIGF has been highlighting this menace since 2018 and has been constantly taking up these issues with various central ministries and also providing evidence of uninterrupted advertising on major Indian OTT and satellite channels.”

The ministry said it had given a comparable advisory on June 13, asking newspapers, private TV channels, and digital news publishers to shun showings of online pay-to-earn platforms. In any case, it has been seen that a few sports channels on TV, as well as on OTT platforms, have as of late been featuring ads for offshore online pay-to-earn platforms and their surrogate news sites.

The advisories were enhanced with proof of direct and surrogate ads from pay-to-earn sites, for example, Fairplay, PariMatch, Betway, Wolf 777, and 1xBet. The ministry added that online offshore pay-to-earn platforms were using news sites as a surrogate product to promote the pay-to-earn platforms on digital media. The logos of surrogate news sites also look like pay-to-earn platforms.

Landers said, “We will continue to monitor this and report any infraction to the government. “We hope that, unlike TV networks, OTTs and digital news publishers will take this advisory seriously and refuse to support and give prime-time airspace to these anti-national websites.”

He added that the ministry’s advisory would help in distinguishing legitimate Indian online skill gaming platforms from illegal gambling sites. “Indian online skill gaming companies provide the highest player protection measures and provide a form of entertainment against these illegal gambling sites, which are the main reason for widespread consumer harm,” Landers said.

Credit: Business Standard