Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar has clarified the air on betting ads that could be seen during the live broadcast of the England vs New Zealand ODI on a Pakistani sports channel.

 

A social media user shared a screenshot on X (formerly Twitter) of the England vs New Zealand ODI match being broadcast live on Pakistan’s Ten Sports channel, raising questions about betting advertisements appearing on the ground.

 

The user tagged Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, writing, “Serious Qs are raised on the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting’s enforcement of its own declared ‘zero tolerance’ policy against betting advertisements as blatant promotion of betting companies is aired on Ten Sports every day.”

 

We spoke yesterday on this issue and I gave you the following version to publish as our official stance

"There is zero tolerance against any ads of surrogate betting companies and it is strictly forbidden and illegal

When international broadcasters from whom rights are… https://t.co/tSaSAWBa7J

— Attaullah Tarar (@TararAttaullah) November 1, 2025

 

Responding to the tweet, Atta Tarar clarified that the government maintains zero tolerance for betting promotions and strictly prohibits any such advertisements within Pakistan. 

 

He wrote, “We spoke yesterday on this issue and I gave you the following version to publish as our official stance. There is zero tolerance against any ads of surrogate betting companies and it is strictly forbidden and illegal. When international broadcasters from whom rights are procured show any material in the stadium, it is at an international venue and from an international broadcaster on which the local channel which has procured broadcasting rights has no control or authority.”

 

The minister explained that local channels like Ten Sports purchase broadcasting rights from international networks, which often show in-stadium visuals containing betting banners. Pakistani broadcasters, however, cannot alter or censor those feeds since they originate from international sources.

 

Betting and gambling are strictly illegal in Pakistan, and the government has repeatedly taken action against individuals and platforms found promoting them.

 

One month ago, popular YouTuber Ducky Bhai faced legal trouble after promoting a betting-related app on his channel, which drew public backlash and government scrutiny. Authorities later issued a clear warning to influencers and digital creators to avoid endorsing betting or gambling in any form.