Offshore platforms operate in India after ban on online money games
In India, after the ban on online money games came into force, illegal and offshore operators continue to circumvent restrictions by changing domains and using private groups in messaging apps. Al Jazeera English reports.
In the village of Yedapalli in Telangana state, 22-year-old Harish began placing online bets during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to police, he spent about 1.8 million rupees on betting and borrowed money from at least 12 villagers. The family sold a plot of land to partially repay the debts, but this proved insufficient. On October 3, 2024, Harish and his parents died by suicide.
The scale of the online market
According to an industry report, India had about 591 million gamers in 2024. The country’s online gaming sector generated approximately $3.7 billion in revenue that year, while games involving money stakes accounted for about 86% of that figure.
In a 2025 report, CUTS International estimated that the 15 largest unauthorized betting platforms received more than 5.4 billion visits from India in the 2024–2025 financial year. The organization estimated annual deposit volumes on illegal platforms at approximately $100 billion. This is CUTS International’s estimate, not an official measurement of India’s gambling market.
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According to charge documents filed by India’s Enforcement Directorate, the Mahadev Online app may have generated about 430 billion rupees over seven years.
The ban and advertising
The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025 banned online money games in India regardless of whether they are based on chance, skill, or a combination of both factors. It also prohibits advertising, promotion, and facilitation of such games. Banks and payment systems are prohibited from processing transactions related to banned services. The law came into force on May 1, 2026.
India’s Advertising Standards Council, ASCI, reported that it identified 7,927 offshore betting advertisements in 2025. According to its data, offshore betting accounted for 72% of advertisements found to violate rules during monitoring.
Experts and police stress that the cited cases do not provide grounds to establish that gambling was the sole cause of the deaths, as suicide is complex in nature. At the same time, financial losses, addiction, shame, and pressure may combine and deepen the crisis for people and their families.
