India's Illegal Betting Surge: Checkmate On Digital Frontiers

Illegal betting in India has dramatically increased, with 1.6 billion visits to illegal sites in three months, mostly from organic searches. Despite efforts by the government to curb these activities, sophisticated marketing and tech-savvy methods allow operators to thrive.

Illegal betting and gambling activities in India are seeing a significant rise, with a report from the Digital India Foundation revealing that major illegal sites amassed an enormous 1.6 billion visits within three months. Notably, organic search traffic accounted for 184 million visits, surpassing social media-driven traffic of 42.8 million visits.

Moreover, mirror websites are expanding the illegal campaign, as notably three Parimatch mirrors drew in an additional 266 million visits. The report highlights the inconsistency in enforcement on digital platforms, despite prohibitions against betting advertisements, especially with the exponential rise in Facebook Ad Network promotions.

While government measures like website blocking and advisory messages are regularly employed, illegal operators efficiently bypass these interventions using advanced digital marketing tactics and seamless payment methods. The report also expressed concerns from the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance about how online betting facilitates money laundering and terror financing.

Historical insights from countries like the UK, Norway, and the U.S. underline that mere website blocking is futile. Greater success was achieved through multi-faceted strategies combining website blocking and strict marketing and payment controls. The report urges India to adopt a similar ecosystem-based enforcement approach to effectively tackle and disrupt illegal betting operations.

This comprehensive strategy should encompass curbing user-acquisition-driven digital media channels, tightening financial regulations to stem illicit transactions, and reinforcing enforcement mechanisms to ensure sustained disruption of illegal gambling enterprises.

(With inputs from agencies.)