India Blocks 1,410 Illegal Gambling Sites Since 2022
The Indian government has intensified its campaign against illegal online gambling platforms, resulting in the blockage of 1,410 such sites starting from 2022. This measure was detailed in a legislative response delivered by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
Revealed during a session in the Lok Sabha on March 26, the government detailed its ongoing efforts to combat illegal gambling in response to an inquiry from two Members of Parliament. Their query was centered around the government’s regulatory actions against illicit gambling activities.
In their comprehensive response, the authorities highlighted the imposition of a 30% income tax on net winnings from online gaming beginning from the 2024-25 assessment year. Additionally, a 28% Goods and Services Tax (GST) on online gaming was put into effect starting October 1, 2023. Furthermore, a robust registration and regulation framework for both local and international online money gaming platforms was established, empowering the Directorate General of GST Intelligence (DGGI) to block non-compliant platforms.
This significant increase in blocked sites marks the latest chapter in the government’s ongoing battle against illegal gambling operations. Back in December of the previous year, an official announcement in Parliament confirmed the issuance of 692 blocking orders between 2022 and 2024. In a striking development, 718 additional orders were executed in merely a couple of months, underscoring the rapid escalation of the government’s actions.
In a recent development, the DGGI took further steps by blocking access to 357 offshore illegal gambling websites earlier this week. Such actions are part of the broader crackdown aimed at curtailing unauthorized gambling activities that continue to target Indian users.
Back in 2020, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) had already issued an advisory addressing online gaming and fantasy sports. This directive instructed private satellite television channels to comply with the Advertising Standards Council of India’s (ASCI) regulations to curb misleading advertising.
Despite these prohibitions, offshore gambling enterprises persist in marketing their offerings to Indian customers. Reports highlighted rampant advertisements for 1xBet, an illicit offshore platform, featuring prominently in over 2,000 Uber vehicles in major cities like Delhi and Mumbai.
A December 2024 ASCI report pointed to a notable uptick in gambling ads on digital platforms, experiencing a year-on-year surge of 12 percentage points.
In response to these challenges, digital platforms have begun to reinforce their advertising policies regarding gambling content. This month, YouTube introduced an age restriction update, which limits access to gambling-related content for users under 18 and those not signed in. This aligns with similar initiatives undertaken by Twitch, the streaming platform, to impose restrictions on gambling promotions.
