Poll Shows Large Majority Want Gaming Advertisements Banned

A survey by community platform LocalCircles has shown that fantasy gaming advertisements are not welcomed by a large majority of those that responded.

LocalCircles received over 110,000 responses from consumers concerning advertising and marketing for online and mobile gaming platforms. A whopping 77% of the 7,293 people that responded to this question wanted the government to ban advertisements from such gaming platforms where money could be won or lost, with just 18% stating they were happy to see the ads. Another 5% were unsure.

In response, a LocalCircle's spokesperson said: "many teenagers, youth and even professionals seem to have got addicted to such sites and apps and are losing a lot of money of their own and their parents, sometimes even without their knowledge and permission".

The survey comes at a time when fantasy sports is booming in India with 90 million players, and this is set to grow further, particularly with the IPL cricket running now. Fantasy sports operator Dream11 is the title sponsor.

The Ministry of Consumer Affairs (MCA) has issued draft guidelines for preventing unfair trade practices and protecting players’ interest. Endorsements must be based on either adequate information about or experience with the service or product being endorsed.

Fantasy sports firms have escaped the ban on online gambling as they are considered by various court rulings to have an element of skill.

Other online gaming products have run afoul of state governments recently. Andhra Pradesh has explicitly outlawed online gambling, but the ban won’t cover fantasy products.