Mint Explainer: Why is IPL 2025 plastered with fantasy gaming and ‘pan masala’ ads?

This surge is part of an overall spike in IPL advertising, with ad volumes during the opening matches rising 12% year-on-year and the number of advertisers jumping 31%. Online fantasy gaming ads remain among the top e-gaming categories, while ‘pan masala’ ads continue to top the advertising landscape, fueling viewers’ frustration.

Mint explains the rules governing these advertisements, and the legal loopholes that enable their unchecked proliferation during the IPL.

Which are the worst offenders?

Fantasy gaming giants such as Dream11 and My11Circle are leading the charge. Dream11’s campaign ‘Aake dekh team mein kaun hai’ (‘Come see who is on the team’) stars Bollywood icons Aamir Khan and Ranbir Kapoor alongside cricketers such as Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya. My11Circle’s ‘Circle mein aaja’ ropes in Sourav Ganguly and Shubman Gill for a similarly star-studded pitch.

PokerBaazi, owned by Baazi Games, has revived its popular ‘Tu Poker khelta hai kya?” campaign featuring Shahid Kapoor.

Meanwhile, pan masala brands often employ surrogate advertising tactics, promote ‘mouth fresheners’ or ‘digestives’ instead of directly advertising pan masala. This is because advertisements for tobacco products, including pan masala, are banned in India.

Among pan masala brands, Vimal Elaichi (Vishnu Packaging) featured in the top five advertisers thanks to its long-running ‘Zubaan Kesari’ campaign starring Shah Rukh Khan.

According to TAM Sports, the first 13 matches of IPL 2025 saw ad volumes rise 12% from last year. The number of advertisers jumped 31% as 83 new brands entered the fray. Online gaming held a 10% share of total ad volumes, second only to mouth fresheners, which continued to lead the pack.

Dream11’s parent company Sporta Technologies held a 4% share in the ad volume mix, while Vishnu Packaging (Vimal Elaichi) held 6%. New entrants such as Rajshree Silver Coated Elaichi further signalled the rise of surrogate branding in the tournament.

This surge in advertising comes on the back of record-breaking IPL viewership. According to BARC, the first eight matches had 288 million TV viewers with a total watch time of 65 billion minutes—an all-time high. High-definition (HD) viewership rose 30% to 47 million, and live reach touched 319 million—the second-highest in IPL history.

Hows are viewers reacting?

The overwhelming presence of fantasy gaming and ‘pan masala’ ads during IPL 2025 broadcasts has triggered sharp backlash on social media. Several users took to X (formerly Twitter) to voice concerns about the nature and volume of ads being served on JioCinema.

One user posted: “More than 70% of ads on JioHotstar during IPL are either cancer-causing or gambling apps. Government needs to think twice about what they’re allowing. There should be a cap—maybe 20% max.”

Another viewer wrote: “I need a Chrome extension to mute all IPL ads. Cursor & AI Builders, where are you?” Meanwhile, X user Jay Kadam shared a workaround, saying: “Pro tip—watch IPL in English to get fewer paan masala and My11Circle ads.”

Political analyst Sumanth Raman also chimed in, asking: “Why are so many IPL ads either pan masala or online gambling ads?” Influencer Ravisutanjani slammed the celebrity endorsements, saying: “Gutkha is a disaster for public health—what kind of money does it take for celebrities and JioCinema to promote it during IPL?”

Some users are even sharing tips to bypass ads, noting that switching to ‘Player Focus’ or ‘Max View’ modes on JioCinema resulted in fewer or no ads—though this is not officially confirmed.

What’s the legal status of fantasy gaming ads?

Fantasy gaming ads operate in a legal grey zone, and are currently regulated through a mix of self-regulatory guidelines and general consumer protection laws.

In April 2023, the Indian government amended the IT Rules, 2021 to regulate online gaming, especially real-money games. The rules aimed to curb harmful and addictive content, enforce age restrictions, mandate KYC verification, and prohibit wager-based games. 

To implement this, the government proposed setting up self-regulatory bodies (SRBs) to assess and approve permissible games. These SRBs were to be headed by retired judges or independent experts. However, by March 2025, the ministry of electronics and IT admitted in Madras High Court court that no SRBs had been notified yet. As a result, the enforcement of these gaming rules remains stalled.

Meanwhile, the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) mandates disclaimers such as: “This game involves an element of financial risk and may be addictive. Please play responsibly.” These ads also cannot feature minors, guarantee success, or imply that gaming is a source of income.

“We’ve intensified our monitoring during the IPL season. For IPL 2025, we’ve already processed four violations. Last year, over 3,000 ads were flagged, including influencer promotions,” ASCI CEO Manisha Kapoor told Mint.

According to legal experts, online fantasy gaming platforms also continue to advertise during IPL due to the legal recognition of their products as “games of skill”, rather than gambling. This status allows them to operate within certain regulatory frameworks, limiting the authority of bodies such as ASCI to question their legality.

“ASCI has pointed out on occasion that it is not within its jurisdiction to decide the legality of real-money games, or take up any objections in relation to the legality of such games or the carrying of their advertisements in specific media,” said Shreya Suri, partner at IndusLaw.

She added that ASCI’s guidelines on real-money gaming clarify that it only evaluates advertising content, not the legal standing of the games themselves. She also noted that some state-level laws still only address physical gaming houses, creating a grey area for online platforms.

Sanjay Jain, former additional solicitor general, said, “Public faces, while promoting online fantasy gaming platforms and betting-related apps, are seemingly taking advantage of the loophole contained in the central government’s advisory… which turns into an ostrich when it comes to online fantasy gaming platforms and betting-related apps, which are equally addictive.”

What about ads for alcohol and tobacco, and surrogate ads?

In March 2025, the Union Health Ministry, through the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), urged the Indian Premier League (IPL) to prohibit all forms of tobacco and alcohol advertising, including surrogate promotions. The directive applies to both in-stadium branding and advertisements aired during match telecasts on national television.

But surrogate ads continue to proliferate. The Guidelines for Prevention of Misleading Advertisements and Endorsements, 2022, issued by the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA), define surrogate advertising as promoting prohibited products by disguising them as ads for legally permitted goods. 

Clause 6 prohibits such ads if they indirectly promote banned items using similar branding, logos, or presentation styles. However, using a brand name alone isn’t considered surrogate advertising unless the ad itself is misleading. Violators face fines up to ₹10 lakh ( ₹50 lakh for repeat offences) and endorsement bans of up to three years.

The Consumer Protection Act, 2019 also allows the government to penalise companies for dubious ads. However, loopholes remain, including ones that allow for surrogate advertising.

Ads for pan masala and tobacco products are also banned under the Cable Television Networks Rules, 1994 and the COTPA Act, 2003, which prohibit direct and indirect promotion of harmful or intoxicating products.

India is also a signatory to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, which mandates a ban on all forms of tobacco advertising, including indirect methods.

Despite these regulations, experts said enforcement remained weak, especially in the digital space. While laws around television broadcasting are strong, digital platforms are still largely self-regulatory.

How do other countries handle the issue?

Experts said India could learn from international best practices.

The US prohibits cigarette advertising on television, radio, and in print media. The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (2009) grants the FDA authority to regulate tobacco products, including advertising and promotion. However, tobacco advertising remains prevalent in retail environments and through sponsorships of events and sports teams. The NFL also limits betting ads during major events such as the Super Bowl. 

Canada prohibits tobacco advertising in all media, including television, radio, and print. The Tobacco and Vaping Products Act (2018) regulates the advertising and promotion of tobacco and vaping products, including restrictions on sponsorships and endorsements.

The UK’s 2019 whistle-to-whistle ad ban during live sports reduced children’s exposure to gambling content by 97%, according to Betting and Gaming Council (BGC), the trade group for gambling companies in the UK.

“In the UK, gambling ads are banned during live sports before 9 pm. Athletes and influencers under 25 can’t feature in them,” said Raheel Patel, partner at Gandhi Law Associates. “The US restricts such ads during youth-centric programming. India must shift from self-regulation to statutory control.”

Former additional solicitor general Jain said, “India should consider a central regulatory body like the UK Gambling Commission to ensure transparency and enforcement.”

What’s the way forward?

Legal experts suggested a two-pronged approach.

“First, there must be a clear distinction between skill-based permissible games and banned betting formats,” said Anushree Rauta, equity partner at ANM Global. “Second, enforcement must be stricter—targeting platforms that flout rules and ensuring minors aren’t exposed to these ads.”

Rishabh Gandhi, founder of Rishabh Gandhi & Advocates, called for broader oversight. “The RBI should track financial flows from gaming. ASCI guidelines need statutory authority. OTT ad rules under MeitY must be enforced more strongly. Real-time monitoring and influencer accountability are key.”

Mint previously reported that the union government was working on a unified regulatory framework to oversee India’s fast-growing online gaming sector to move away from the current patchwork of state-level laws.

Sherya Suri, partner at Indus Law, said, “Reframing advertising norms for sectors like pan masala and gambling as public health issues, akin to tobacco control, should be a priority. It should draw from global practices and India’s COTPA framework.

“We must implement strict age-gating and targeting controls to ensure that ads do not reach users under 18, without breaching privacy laws, across traditional and digital media. Additionally, transparency in sponsorships is essential: broadcasters and sports franchises should clearly disclose any financial affiliations or sponsorships with gaming and betting platforms during live coverage.”