The Indian government is accelerating the crackdown on illegal betting and online gambling activities. According to a written report submitted to the Lower House by Jitin Prasada, the Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology, from 2022 to June 2025, India has blocked 1,524 illegal gambling websites and their related mobile applications. This three-year crackdown campaign demonstrates the Indian authorities' "zero tolerance" attitude towards cross-border gambling platforms.
Most of these blocked platforms are not registered in India, nor do they comply with the country's Information Technology regulations and the Integrated Goods and Services Tax (IGST) law, evading tax supervision. To address this issue, the Indian government has authorized the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC)'s Directorate General of Goods and Services Tax Intelligence (DGGI), to request internet service providers to block illegal platforms, specifically targeting those set up overseas but specifically serving Indian users.
According to current regulations, all online gambling and gaming businesses must register under the IGST framework and pay a 28% Goods and Services Tax. Additionally, from the fiscal year 2024-25, the government will also levy a 30% income tax on the net profits of gambling platforms, making the tax system more clear and forceful.
The Indian authorities have also noticed that many illegal platforms use digital marketing through tech giants like Google and Meta, employing "surrogate advertising" to mask their real operations and circumvent platform review and advertising scrutiny mechanisms, thereby attracting Indian users to bet and recharge.
Although the central government leads internet regulation and tax policies, gambling still falls under the jurisdiction of the states within the constitutional framework. The central government can provide law enforcement guidelines and financial support, but the states have the final decision on whether gambling is legal and what forms are permitted. Therefore, while some states actively respond to the crackdown on illegal gambling, there are also regions that become "hotbeds" for cross-border platforms due to regulatory grey areas.
It is noteworthy that DGGI has become a significant law enforcement force in preventing offshore gambling platforms, focusing not only on traditional websites but also intensifying monitoring of mobile ends, social platforms, and app stores. In conjunction with the new regulations from the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Technology, India is comprehensively blocking the illegal gambling industry chain from legislation, law enforcement, and taxation perspectives.
This crackdown campaign sends a clear signal: India will no longer tolerate unregulated gambling platforms to expand unchecked within the country. As regulatory upgrades and enforcement intensify, the "gold rush" of cross-border illegal gambling platforms in India may come to an end.
