NEW DELHI: India has asked Google to stop displaying surrogate ads of overseas betting companies such as Fairplay, PariMatch, Betway and 1xBet in search results and YouTube, amid a crackdown on illegal online gambling. The latest request comes two months after the Government asked broadcasters and video streaming services to drop such advertisements.
Media reports quoting a person in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said a letter was sent last week to Google India asking the internet giant to immediately drop all advertising— direct or surrogate—of these betting platforms.
“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,” a senior ministry official said.
The Centre is concerned that many Indians are getting addicted to or losing money to online betting companies that are operating on the technicality of not having servers or a physical presence in the country, the official said. The ministry has concluded that such sites pose significant financial and socio-economic risks.
