India bans betting ads, but offshore operators keep cashing in…

MUMBAI: India’s crackdown on online money games may be in full swing, but offshore betting advertisers appear to have missed the memo.

Despite the implementation of the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act (PROGA), which prohibits online money games and their promotion, offshore betting advertisements are not only surviving, they are thriving. Fresh data from the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) reveals a sharp rise in betting-related promotions, exposing the growing challenge regulators face in policing an increasingly borderless digital marketplace.

According to ASCI’s latest annual report, offshore betting advertisements accounted for a staggering 72.14 per cent of all advertising violations flagged during FY26, making it the single largest category of concern.

The numbers tell a striking story. In the eight months leading up to PROGA’s passage in August 2025, ASCI recorded an average of 594 offshore betting advertisements every month. In the four months after the law came into effect, that figure climbed to 795 ads per month.

In total, ASCI identified and escalated 7,927 offshore betting advertisements during 2025, including 6,933 ads monitored between April and December alone.

The trend highlights a growing disconnect between legislation and enforcement. While domestic operators face tighter scrutiny, many offshore platforms continue to target Indian audiences through social media promotions, influencer endorsements, affiliate networks and constantly shifting web domains that make regulatory action considerably harder.

Digital platforms have emerged as the primary battleground. Nearly 97.3 per cent of all advertising violations scrutinised by ASCI during FY26 originated online, with sponsored social media content accounting for a significant share of the breaches.

Influencer marketing, in particular, has become a key route for promotion. ASCI reviewed 1,609 influencer advertisements during the year and found that almost 97 per cent required modification for violating advertising guidelines. More than half of these violations were linked to restricted categories, including illegal betting promotions.

The watchdog also flagged 854 influencer-related violations between April and December 2025, with several accounts reportedly dedicated almost entirely to promoting offshore betting platforms.

The issue extends beyond gambling. ASCI reviewed 11,581 cases during FY26, a 21 per cent increase from the previous year, while the number of advertisements scrutinised rose 37 per cent to 9,841. Alongside betting-related promotions, the regulator identified violations across sectors including real estate, personal care, food and beverages, healthcare and consumer electronics.

However, betting remains the standout concern because of both its scale and persistence.

ASCI chairman Sudhanshu Vats noted that the digital advertising ecosystem is becoming increasingly complex, with misleading claims, manufactured credibility and influencer-led amplification creating new risks for consumers.

The findings underline a difficult reality for regulators: passing laws may be straightforward, but enforcing them in an online world where advertisers can operate from beyond national borders is far more challenging.

For now, India’s battle against illegal betting advertisements resembles a high-stakes game of whack-a-mole. Every time one promotion disappears, another seems ready to take its place.