Associate Cricket Runs on Surrogate Betting Ads, We Will Remove Them Only After Clear Law: Chairman Chand

Kathmandu: Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) Chairman Chatur Bahadur Chand has said that illegal betting advertisements, though prohibited by law, cannot be removed unless there is a clear legal provision defining surrogate branding. In an interview with Hamro Khiladi, he said that such advertisements will continue because Nepal’s laws do not explicitly recognize or restrict surrogate brands.

He said that CAN will stop using surrogate brands only when the law clearly bans them. Until then, Associate Cricket will continue to rely on revenue from surrogate promotions. “Either surrogate brands should be completely banned through a clear provision in Nepal’s law. That has not happened. When the government brings a law and says this, we will remove it. The Cricket Association does not have the authority to go against the law,” Chand said.

He added that relevant government bodies, including the Advertisement Board, must understand the issue and provide clear guidance. If surrogate brands are not allowed under the law, he said there must be an explanation of why they are prohibited.

Chand claimed that cricket is officially recognized in 110 countries and that surrogate brands are used in almost all of them. “Where betting is legal, betting brands are used. Where it is not, surrogate brands are used. The name is just a cover,” he said.

In the ongoing Nepal Premier League, franchise teams, including CAN, are promoting betting platforms through surrogate brands. Since gambling and betting are illegal in Nepal, these activities are being promoted indirectly through alternative brand names.

What Is Surrogate Advertising?

Surrogate advertising refers to the indirect promotion of products whose direct advertisement is banned by law, such as alcohol, cigarettes, gambling, or betting.

In such cases, companies use the same brand name, logo, and color scheme to advertise a different, innocuous product, such as water, soda, music CDs, or events. When the audience sees an advertisement for that “water” or “soda,” the branding cues automatically remind them of the banned product. This allows companies to promote prohibited items through a legal loophole.

Earlier in Nepal, OneX Bet introduced “OneX News,” Sky Exchange promoted “Sky News,” and Dafa Bet operated “Dafa News.” These platforms typically appear during major domestic or international cricket events. Melbet has now adopted the same strategy. Such advertising is also known as pseudo-advertising.

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