POKER
ASCI: Ahead Of The Advertising Curve
A quick chat with Manisha Kapoor, Secretary General, ASCI, will give you a gist of how ASCI is stringently committed to the cause of self-regulation in advertising.
By Manthra Koliyer
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s your brain running wild with creative advertising ideas? That you are sure will fetch more attention and lead to positive attitudes about the products. However, every advertisement has to meet the criteria put forth by our conscience keeper, Advertising Standards Council Of India (ASCI). They have issued guidelines to ensure that the basic codes of selfregulation are followed. Established in 1985, the ASCI is a voluntary self-regulatory organisation comprising members from India’s marketing, creative, media, and allied companies. ASCI has been committed to protecting Indian consumers’ interests through self-regulation in advertising since its inception. This regulatory body ensures that claims made in an advertisement are true to its name. There is a general shift from traditional media to digital spaces, and ASCI has ensured that they stay ahead of the curve and streamline advertising and marketing. As a magazine/website that writes predominantly about the real money gaming industry, we had several questions about the disclaimer, rules laid out by ASCI and more. To get our minds cleared, we got in touch with Manisha Kapoor, Secretary-General,
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Manisha Kapoor, Secretary-General, Advertising Standards Council of India Advertising Standards Council of India. Do you think the ASCI disclaimer on an RMG advertisement will challenge the very fact that a particular game is skill-based? The guidelines were introduced to make real-money gaming advertisements safer and more responsible for many consumers. We wanted to ensure that such advertising makes users aware of financial and other risks associated with playing online games and offers real money winnings. Whether a particular game is skill2021
based or not is not within ASCI’s remit; it is a legal and regulatory question. Gaming has now taken a front seat as one of the careers that young Indians are choosing. Don’t you think putting such disclaimers will be an added problem for gamers when they have to convince their parents/ family about their choice of profession? ASCI’s primary concern is protecting the interest of millions of consumers. We observed that gaming
