Complaints Against Betting, Gambling Ads Rising — Influencers Making It Worse
Nine out of 10 ads being reported to the ASCI for prohibited content were from the betting and gambling space.
You might not be the only one noticing a surge in betting and gambling advertisements around you. In fact, the Advertising Standards Council of India has observed an over twofold increase in such ads being reported to government regulators.
In what the ASCI is calling a "huge surge", the number of offshore betting and gambling advertisements reported to regulators jumped to 3,081 in 2024-25 from 1,311 in the previous year. This surge contributed to the overall increase in prohibited advertisements being reported through ASCI, which reached 3,347 in 2024-25, a year-on-year increase of 24%.
This means that over nine out of 10 ads being reported to the Council for prohibited content were from the betting and gambling space.
These advertisements, the ASCI said in its annual complaints report on Wednesday, along with those for health remedies claiming magic cures, alcohol, and tobacco, are restricted by law and are rampant on online platforms.
"Illegal betting platforms are being promoted through disguised ads on community and fan pages, including brand tickers and influencer bios," an ASCI release read. The report also said that 318 influencers were identified to be promoting offshore gambling ads on social media.
Further investigations revealed community pages showcasing individuals claiming exaggerated financial gains from minimal bets. These posts frequently included embedded links to the betting platforms and often generated high viewer engagement.
"These ads were all in violation of Chapter 3 of the ASCI Code, which prohibits the promotion of products or services banned under the law," the council said.
Chapter 3 of the ASCI Code lays down self-regulatory guidelines for safeguard against the advertising of harmful products and services or ones which are "unacceptable to society at large".
Established in 1985, the ASCI is a self-regulatory body which resolves issues around dishonest or misleading ads. It claims to work closely with different stakeholders in the matter of consumer protection and says that its code is part of the Advertising Code enshrined within the Cable TV Networks (Regulation) Act, 1994, thus providing it with a legal backstop.
Influencer violations
Of all the violations reported this year, 94% were found on digital media, and influencer violations were a major part of it.
Influencer violations were seen to be mostly reported in the illegal betting space, followed by fashion, personal care, food and beverages and services.
Out of the 1,015 advertisements processed for influencers violations, 98% required modification. Modification refers to altering ad content to update its content, delivery or targeting.
"While 48% of influencers promptly made corrections to their posts, one third were found to be promoting products that are disallowed by law," ASCI said.
LinkedIn influencers, too, found a mention in the ASCI's report.
"Since January 2025, ASCI has investigated 121 LinkedIn influencer posts flagged by users for failing to disclose material connections."
These influencers are often senior professionals, consultants, and business leaders, the report added. "When influencers fail to declare material connections, audiences may mistake sponsored content for independent opinion," the ASCI said.
