The consumer affairs ministry has taken action against indirect and surrogate advertisements promoting illegal betting and gambling, which are on the rise during cricket matches and election campaigns. These ads violate the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) guidelines, and the ministry is seeking a crackdown.
The ministry has identified violators and is imposing penalties, including banning the operations of betting and gambling apps. Online gaming falls under the purview of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), which will review compliance issues with gaming apps and prepare a list of violators.
Online gaming carries risks such as addiction, health problems from prolonged screen time, social isolation, financial loss, privacy and security concerns, cyberbullying, and negative influence from violent or aggressive games. The ministry is supporting a study by the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (Nimhans) in Bengaluru to understand these risks and frame guidelines for protecting consumers in online gaming.
The study’s findings will be used to develop a predictive and preemptive model to protect the increasing number of digital consumers in the realm of online gaming on the internet. MeitY has scrapped the idea of a self-regulatory body for online gaming and is now working on establishing an independent regulator that will permit only registered entities to offer e-gaming services in India.
