Social media giant Meta has introduced stricter ad policies for real-money gaming (RMG) in India, requiring advertisers to submit a certificate establishing the game as a ‘game of skill’ before publishing ads. These certificates must be issued either by a court order or by one of three industry bodies — the All India Gaming Federation (AIGF), E-Gaming Federation (EGF), or Federation of Indian Fantasy Sports (FIFS).
The move puts the estimated 3,000-4,000 crore that RMG firms spend annually on digital advertising under increased scrutiny. According to Buzzlab CEO and founder Sindhu Biswal, roughly 60–70% of that spend has traditionally gone to Meta platforms (primarily Instagram and Facebook) driven by their precision targeting, mass reach, and ability to deliver quick installs and conversions.
To advertise online gambling or gaming, advertisers must also request written approval from Meta via a designated form and submit proof that their activities are licensed or legally permitted in the regions they wish to target. Meta also prohibits these ads from being shown to users under the age of 18.
The rules apply to any form of online gambling, including betting, lotteries, fantasy sports, skill-based tournaments, and games offering prizes of monetary value. This includes games that require purchases to continue gameplay, but also to ads that lead to landing pages promoting such content, even if direct gameplay or gambling isn’t offered on the page (e.g., affiliate or aggregator sites).
The move comes amid growing scrutiny of online gaming advertisements in India. Recently, the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding with FIFS, AIGF, and EGF to establish a joint monitoring framework. As part of the agreement, a special cell will screen and report ads from offshore betting and gambling entities to relevant government ministries. The cell will also process RMG ads that may potentially violate ASCI’s advertising code.
The three organisations had also, in March, jointly announced a ‘Code of Ethics’ aimed at enforcing consistent user safety standards across the industry.
“The new framework is a major step forward in aligning global platform policy with India’s regulatory and legal realities. It ensures that only authorised, responsible operators can access Meta’s ad inventory while protecting users, especially minors, from exposure to unregulated gaming content,” said Roland Landers, CEO, AIGF, which runs a voluntary skill game certification process programme. Govind Mittal, chief of staff at gaming app Zupee, added, “This change will ensure that all skill gaming companies get to play on a level-playing field and access to deep advertising platforms like Meta will not be restricted to only a select few.”
Legal experts echoed this view, noting that the policy shift may also be Meta’s response to evolving state-level regulations. “With several states beginning to take action, Meta is likely trying to ensure it stays within the bounds of what’s permitted. By requiring third-party certifications, it’s creating a layer of legal assurance around what can and cannot be advertised,” said Dhruv Suri, partner, PSA Legal.
Other experts added that the tightening of ad policies also highlights the legal ambiguity surrounding real-money gaming in India. “Real money gaming runs the risk of being classified as gambling or betting, if such games are not proven to be games of skill,” said Manvinder Singh, Partner, JSA Advocates and Solicitors.
“The Central Government, various State Governments, and the judiciary, each have taken different views on the legality of this nascent, rising sector. Courts have reasoned that money-based online fantasy sports are a game of skill. However, some states have changed the definition of gambling to include all kinds of games, whether games of skill or luck, within the definition of gambling or betting, thereby lending ambiguity to their legality.”