India’s Government Asks Google to Remove Ads for International Betting Companies

The latest crackdown on illegal online gambling has seen the ministry take aim at Google and YouTube ads for betting companies such as Fairplay, Betway, PariMatch, and 1xBet. The move follows a recent government request that broadcasters and video streaming services cease advertising gambling brands that are not licensed to operate in India.

According to local news reports, a spokesperson for the ministry confirmed that the letter sent to Google India requested that the company cease all direct and surrogate advertising for gambling companies on both Google and YouTube.

“After our last advisory on 3 October, TV channels and OTT players stopped showing surrogate ads of online betting firms, but it was brought to our notice that many such ads are running on YouTube and Google. We have asked Google to stop this immediately.”

Surrogate news websites a major issue

According to the MIB, international betting companies are using news websites as surrogate platforms to advertise betting platforms on both Google and YouTube. In its findings, the MIB noted that even the logos of these news sites often bear a striking resemblance to the betting company’s logo.

Roland Landers, CEO of AIGF said that the most problematic aspect of these offshore websites is how they promote and advertise their illegal products to Indian consumers:

The MIB and the ministry of consumer affairs have come out with strict advisories against direct advertisements and surrogate advertisements by offshore and illegal gambling websites. This has resulted in a significant reduction in offshore gambling ads.”

Ciaran McEneaney

Ciaran has been working within the Gambling Industry as a deep analyst since 2019. His deep knowledge and understanding of all the gambling regulations, and processes makes him a true asset, and an always valuable point of view for Gambling Industry News, allowing us to cover every topics from a brand new perspective.