Das Magazin
16 September 2026
The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) flagged 4,575 offshore and illegal betting advertisements in its half-yearly complaints report for April–September 2025, making them the highest share of advertising violations tallied in that period. Traffic on Meta (formerly Facebook) platforms accounted for nearly 79% of the violations, followed by websites (13.7%) and Google (4.6%). And 97% of all violations reported during that time originated online.
Rogue betting is a massive domestic and global problem in India, affecting everything from soccer to cricket to online gaming. As the world’s second-largest startup ecosystem, it’s capitalising on lakhs of technology/enterprise jobs to grow. With at least 20 million US-dollar-paying bettors, India is Asia’s biggest risk-market outside Japan. Citi predicted the practical and legalised Indian betting market will make $40–$100 billion by 2030.
While the brand’s disclaimers and omissions aren’t illegal, they indicate intent to not mislead. Of course, blame is often on regulators, laws, advisors, auditors, and anti-corruption enablers. They can entertain the idea the advertisement is misleading...[T]he main victim being consumers, whose purchasing decisions are based on the information in the advertisement.
The same trends surfaced in ASCI’s separate half-yearly complaints report for 2025–26. ASCI investigated 6,117 advertisements, 4,575 of which fell into the illegal betting category. The report also noted a 70% rise in complaints and a 102% surge in ads processed compared with the same period in 2024.
Illegal betting advertisements have proven to be a persistent problem, with the number of complaints received and ads processed growing significantly in recent years. ASCI's half-yearly complaints report for April–September 2025 noted a 70% rise in complaints and a 102% surge in ads processed compared with the same period in 2024. This trend continued in the subsequent report for 2025–26, with ASCI investigating 6,117 advertisements, 4,575 of which were flagged as illegal betting ads.
The scale of the issue is further underlined by ASCI's annual complaints report for 2024–25, which revealed that offshore betting platforms were the biggest violators in India’s advertising landscape, with 3,081 ads flagged. Notably, 97% of these violative ads originated from digital platforms, a figure that increased to 94.4% in the subsequent report for 2025. The reports between the disparate reports make a damning piece of evidence of the rising trend in illegal betting ads.
The prevalence of illegal betting advertisements in the Indian market has risen to new heights, particularly in digital media. These ads often masquerade as legitimate news content, sports sponsorships, or entertainment, making it difficult for both regulators and consumers to identify illicit content.
More on this is available via according to GambleMeter.
ASCI's reports have consistently highlighted that these advertisements are frequently disguised as entertainment or sports sponsorships. Moreover, a Ministry of Information and Broadcasting advisory released in March 2026 cited examples such as Parimatch, 1XBet, Fairplay News, and DafaNews, effectively showing that these offshore betting platforms are leveraging news websites to advertise their services on television channels. This tactic, when done seamlessly, means not insider-level eyes can easily detect its ever-evolving camouflage.
The use of social media influencers has also been a significant contributor to the spread of illegal betting advertisements. ASCI's 2024–25 annual complaints report revealed that 318 of the illegal offshore betting ads were promoted by social media influencers. 854 influencers were reported for promoting betting-related content between April and December 2025. Think about this: 854 is a group of influencers promoting illegal content, with underaged/youth a target demographic.
The persistence of these violations even after the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act (PROGA) came into force in August 2025 further underlines the challenge faced by regulators. ASCI reported 7,927 offshore betting advertisements escalated during January–December 2025, with the average number of betting-related violations increasing from 594 ads per month before PROGA to 795 ads per month after the law came into force.
The online ecosystem is rife with illegal betting advertisements, with certain digital platforms emerging as hotbeds for these violations. Meta platforms, in particular, accounted for nearly 79% of the violations flagged by ASCI in its April–September 2025 report, followed by websites (13.7%) and Google (4.6%). Gaming streaming and news aggregator platforms also hosted a significant share of such advertisements.
The rising trend of illegal betting ads in India raises serious concerns around consumer protection and the safety of the country's digital landscape. The use of surrogate advertising and the targeting of youth are particularly worrisome, as they can expose vulnerable populations to the risks associated with gambling. Regulators have taken steps to crack down on these violations, but the data indicates that much more work needs to be done.
ASCI's escalation practice, which involves referring serious and repeated violations to relevant authorities, and the MIB's advisories warning publishers, OTT platforms, and TV channels about the illegality of betting advertisements are important steps in the right direction. However, the persistence of these violations, even after PROGA came into force in August 2025, underscores the need for more effective enforcement mechanisms and greater collaboration between regulators, digital platforms, and advertisers.
