Concerned over rising instances of advertisements related to betting and gambling, consumer watchdog CCPA on Wednesday issued an advisory warning celebrities and influencers to refrain from promoting such illegal activities.

The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) warned all stakeholders that stringent action would be taken for endorsements of illegal activities, including betting and gambling.

"In response to increasing instances of advertisements promoting illegal activities such as betting and gambling, the CCPA has issued a comprehensive advisory," an official statement said.

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," CCPA said.

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's 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 statement said.

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 warns 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," the CCPA said.

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.

"If any violation of the guidelines is found, stringent measures, as per the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, will be initiated against (those) involved, including manufacturers, advertisers, publishers, intermediaries, social media platforms, endorsers, and any other relevant stakeholders," the statement said.

The CCPA asked all stakeholders to adhere strictly to these guidelines and refrain from promoting or endorsing activities that are illegal under Indian law.

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