CCPA: No Betting Promotion by Celebrities

The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has issued an advisory warning celebrities and influencers against endorsing illegal betting and gambling activities due to a surge in related advertisements. The advisory, in accordance with the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, has emphasised the prohibition of advertising, promotion, and endorsement of unlawful activities that are prohibited under various laws.

Betting and gambling are strictly prohibited under the Public Gambling Act, 1867, and are considered illegal in the majority of regions across the country. Despite this, online betting platforms and apps persist in advertising betting and gambling directly, as well as under the guise of gaming. The watchdog pointed out that the endorsements of such activities have considerable financial and socio-economic implications, especially for the youth.

The advisory underscores the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting efforts in issuing various advisories to media platforms, cautioning them against publicising betting and gambling platforms. Online advertisement intermediaries have also been warned against targeting such advertisements toward the Indian audience.

The advisory highlighted that the Guidelines for Prevention of Misleading Advertisements and Endorsements for Misleading Advertisements, 2022, categorically prohibit advertisements of products or services prohibited under any prevailing law. The guidelines apply to all advertisements, irrespective of the medium used and warn celebrities and influencers that any engagement in the promotion or advertisement of online gambling and betting, given its unlawful status, renders one equally liable for participating in an illegal activity.

Through this advisory, CCPA cautioned that any advertisement or endorsement of activities that are prohibited by the law, including but not limited to betting or gambling, would be subject to rigorous scrutiny.

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