Unregulated Betting and Property Dealings Emerge as Major Breaches: ASCI Report
The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) has reported an 83% surge in consumer complaints in 2024-2025, with offshore betting and the real estate sectors registering the most advertising violations. Strikingly, 98% of the ads assessed by the ASCI required modifications, with 3,081 ads promoting illicit offshore betting platforms identified as the most significant infractions.
The ASCI's examination of influencer-led promotions revealed that 98% of the 1,015 advertisements scrutinized required alterations. This highlights the need for transparency in paid partnerships, particularly on LinkedIn and other digital platforms.
Offshore betting advertising violations accounted for 43.5% of all advertising violations in the ASCI's 2024-2025 Annual Complaints Report. Despite legal prohibitions and self-regulatory frameworks, offshore betting and influencer marketing remain prone to deception and non-compliance.
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has issued directives to prohibit publishers from carrying advertisements from offshore betting platforms. However, compliance with ASCI guidelines stands at 83%, with television and print media showing higher adherence rates compared to digital platforms.
Influencers must disclose any paid partnerships or sponsorships in their promotional content across all social media platforms. Yet, nearly all of the influencer-led promotions examined by the ASCI were found to be non-compliant with disclosure norms. As a result, ASCI issued advisories to improve transparency, especially on platforms like LinkedIn, and address the difficulties posed by algorithmic virality and the rapid dissemination of non-compliant content.
These measures underscore ongoing efforts to curb misleading and unlawful advertising while navigating the complexities of influencer marketing and digital media proliferation.
The ASCI's examination of influencer-led promotions on food, health, and sports industries also showed a high need for transparency, as 98% of the 1,015 advertisements scrutinized required alterations. This calls for clearer disclosure norms, especially on digital platforms like LinkedIn.
Integrity in influencer marketing extends to promoting responsible advertising, as 3,081 ads related to food, health, and sports were found to be non-compliant with ASCI guidelines. This suggests a need for stricter regulations and education about advertising standards in these sectors.
The proliferation of digital media has led to a surge in complaints about advertising violations, with offshore betting and influencer marketing being the most significant infractions. The MIB and ASCI's efforts to improve compliance and transparency aim to strike a balance between advertising growth and consumer protection in the digital age.
