Section 6: Prohibition of advertisement related to online money game.

No person shall make, cause to be made, aid, abet, induce, or otherwise be involved in the making or causing to be made any advertisement, in any media including electronic means of communication, which directly or indirectly promotes or induces any person to play any online money game or indulge in any activity promoting online money game.

Explained:

Section 6 of the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025 deals with the prohibition of advertisements relating to online money games. The provision is an important part of the statutory framework introduced to restrict the promotion and inducement of online money gaming in India.

Under Section 6, no person can make, cause to be made, aid, abet, induce, or otherwise participate in making an advertisement that directly or indirectly promotes or induces a person to play an online money game or engage in an activity promoting such a game. The prohibition applies to advertisements in any media, including electronic means of communication.

The provision therefore has a broad scope. It can potentially cover advertisements disseminated through websites, social-media platforms, digital advertising networks, videos and other electronic communication channels. A contravention of Section 6 attracts punishment under Section 9(2), which provides for imprisonment of up to two years, or a fine up to ₹50 lakh, or both.

Important Judgments

In Sporta Technologies Pvt. Ltd. v. Come Sports & Ors. (Delhi High Court, 2026), the Court dealt with allegedly infringing real-money gaming applications and their promotion through social media and in-app advertising. The Court granted an interim injunction and directed blocking of identified websites. The order is particularly relevant to the modern enforcement environment surrounding online gaming advertisements.

In Archit Gupta v. Union of India (Rajasthan High Court, 2026), a PIL sought restrictions concerning advertisements of betting and gambling websites. Following enactment of the 2025 legislation, the Court recorded the Union’s submission that the new law had made the earlier prayers infructuous.

Earlier cases such as Varun Gumber v. Union Territory of Chandigarh, Junglee Games India Pvt. Ltd. v. State of Tamil Nadu, and Dr. K.R. Lakshmanan v. State of Tamil Nadu are also important for understanding Indian jurisprudence on skill-based online games and gambling.

Thus, Section 6 represents a significant shift from merely regulating gaming activity to also restricting the advertising and promotion that may encourage participation in prohibited online money games