INDIAN GAMING STATESIDE
Celebrities and big Instagram accounts join hands to promote illegal gambling websites
Instagram, as of January 2022, was the fourth most popular social media platform in the world in terms of user numbers. YouTube and WhatsApp ranked second and third, respectively, whilst Facebook remained the most popular, with almost three billion monthly active users worldwide, according to analytics firm Statistica. India had the most significant number of Instagram users as of January 2022, with over 230 million users in the country. What sets Instagram apart is that roughly 31 per cent of global Instagram audiences were aged between 25 and 34 years. Now, this very uniqueness is used by illegal betting websites to promote their shady business. These offshore betting websites create a
video of famous Bollywood celebrities promoting and encouraging users to gamble online. Once the video is recorded, the video is shared as stories on multiple
Instagram accounts having millions of followers. The promotions are primarily targeted at youth between the age groups 18-38 years. Some of the accounts that recently
promoted illegal gambling websites include @bcbilliofficial with 1.8 million followers, @ daily_over_dose with 1.8 million followers, @adultgram with 5.4 million followers. At the time of writing this, a story on @
adultgram features model Urfi Javed where she is seen promoting a shady betting and casino website, Ambani Book. The actress also says “Ambani naam maihe guarantee haai,” thereby linking the shady website to the illustrious Ambani family. In the latest advisory released last month,
against ads promoting online betting websites/platforms in print, electronic and digital media, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting asked the media platforms to refrain from promoting gambling websites. However, Instagram
accounts, although have millions of followers do not come under the ambit of the said circular as they are not in the business of news media. In June, the Consumer Affairs ministry
issued guidelines under Consumer Protection Act that prohibited surrogate advertising which is normally adopted by offshore betting websites. The guidelines and regulations issued under the Consumer Protection Act are applicable to celebrities like Bipasha Basu, Urfi Javed, and Aparshakti Khurana who promote illegal websites. It remains to be seen if action is taken
against these celebrities for advertising illegal offshore betting websites and encouraging or abetting money laundering and tax evasion by illegal and unlicensed online betting platforms. As regards Instagram accounts, most of these accounts are anonymous accounts with admins not revealing their identities.
16 detained as video game arcades and lottery shops sheltering hidden online gambling dens raided in Pune
As many as 16 individuals were detained when the social security cell of the Pune local police conducted a search on three online gambling establishments that were allegedly operating in the Kondhwa neighbourhood as lottery and video gaming centers. 12 additional suspects are being sought, according to officials. The authorities said that they learnt about
three stores in two adjacent office complexes in Kondhwa thatwere operating illegal internet gambling activities. And had licences for the sale of state-approved lottery tickets as well as for video gaming centres. Teams from the social security cell,
headed by inspector Rajesh Puranik, and a team of trainee police sub-inspectors, who had just joined the city police carried out a raid on the evening of July 23, as business owners, recordkeepers, and other gamblers, were detained. According to the police, these centers were
concealing online gambling operations by covering the storefronts’ entrances with curtains. “Our probe suggests that these
racketeers were using various online gambling applications, including that of Matka gambling. Those who came for placing bets on specific numbers were writing their number bets on a plastic sheet and then taking a photo of it before erasing the number. And then the results are taken out using a computer or phone-based gambling application,” an officer, who was a part of the search operation, told The Indian Express. “Thus there is hardly any evidence or
paper trail that is left behind. This illegal operation involves a conspiracy by owners of the dens, bookies, people who run and own these online applications. Because this racket makes extensive use of online applications, we have invoked the Information Technology Act, along with the Maharashtra Prohibition of Gambling Act in addition to Indian Penal Code (IPC) provisions pertaining to cheating and criminal conspiracy,” he added. A search has been initiated for more
individuals who either managed to escape the AUGUST 2022 27
scene of the raid or were later found to have been involved in the online activity. Action against such betting dens operating in the city under the guise of lottery stores and gaming centers, they claimed, would continue.
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gaming, poker, gambling, casino, cricket betting and esports in India and the Indian subcontinent.
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