US tech giant Google has issued an official statement in response to India’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting directive addressed toward the company obliging it to stop any gambling ads that are being shown on YouTube or in the search engine.
Google Affirms It Does Not Allow Gambling Ads in India
In an official statement, issued on December 7, Google asserted that it does not permit any gambling advertising on its channels in India in alignment with the legal requirements in the country and the recent advisory directive issued by India’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB).
In its statement, the company clearly noted that it has a strict policy on the issue: “Across our ads systems, we have strict policies in place to stop violations, and we take quick action if we are informed about violative ads.”
The MIB issued an advisory directed at media companies, television broadcasters, over-the-top media service platforms, and digital publishers at the beginning of October obliging them to stop showing and publishing gambling advertisements. The advisory followed reports that such ads were shown on official TV channels and online as well.
Gambling is prohibited in India with only some skill games allowed in certain states in the country. This makes gambling advertisements illegal and the MIB has been trying to stop them.
Following the issuance of the Indian government’s advisory, the MIB received information that gambling ads are still available on YouTube and the Google search engine so it sent a letter to the US tech giant to stop them immediately.
The statement Google issued on Wednesday was in response to MIB’s letter.
India Has a Thriving Black Gambling Market
Despite being illegal in India, gambling is gaining great popularity. A lot of locals are using offshore iGaming brands for playing games of chance. Some of the most popular brands in the country are 1xBet, Betway, Fairplay, Parimatch, and Wolf 777.
The MIB reported that these offshore iGaming websites are specifically targeting Indian players despite knowing that gambling is banned in India.
The MIB highlighted that gambling content is harmful and dangerous for vulnerable members of society and particularly children, posing considerable social and financial risks.
The MIB also warned media companies that they will be the subject of fines and penalties if they continue to promote gambling through illegal advertisement. This warning extends also to online and affiliate marketing companies that have been asked to heed local regulations and not promote gambling ads targeted toward Indian residents.