India wants to clamp down on offshore gambling sites

[The Buzz]

India is moving to block popular offshore gambling sites, which have been doing booming business in the country, according to iGaming Consultant Jaydeep Chakravartty, writing for SiGMA.

Chakravartty says that the Ministry of Information and Technology (MEITY) is taking action under the Information Technology Act, 2000 for alleged General Service Tax (GST) evasion and routing betting proceeds, as a result of a "drawn-out procedure at the highest level."

According to earlier reports, the tax agency had asked MEITY to enact an IT Act ban on 25 offshore gambling sites.

From Chakravartty's article:

Government warnings unheeded
The Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B) issued a directive on Oct. 3rd, 2022 to digital news media and over-the-top platforms to refrain from carrying online betting advertisements.

As a result of the continuous presence of online betting advertisements on these sites, the government has now given a warning twice in the past five months, according to a government statement.

The ministry also raised the alarm about the existence of substitute news websites run by online gambling companies. The Union ministry announced that these platforms were also breaking the law.

Big business in offshore gambling
Offshore gambling sites have been doing booming business in India at a time when the Indian online skill gaming industry is facing significant challenges because of complicated government laws and guidelines, significant taxation issues and Google’s policy changes.

The offshore websites spend about INR 3,500 crore on ads and promotions, another 500 crore on celebrities and influencers to endorse their platforms. They spend a total of almost INR 4,000 crore ($500 million) each year, according to skill gaming organisation, AIGF.

According to estimates, the Indian online gaming sector is losing at least $25–30 billion as a result of offshore gambling sites.

Read more here: https://sigma.world/news/india-moves...ambling-sites/

[Malikbhai]

Utter Nonsense.

1XBET along with Fairplay did a major media deal with StarSports. Dafabet and Fun88 making similar deals.

New Dehli can't do shiite.

[littlelilly]

The Central government is threatening to do this for a couple of years now. They tried it even at state level but found that they did not have the resources to blacklist and follow through...offshore sites still going strong.

[LCI]

StarSports is not the government though.
And many of the top bookies in India were affected by this starting on the 18th of October.