Despite India’s ban on online money games and related advertising, offshore betting brands have continued to target Indian users. Offshore betting ads accounted for 72.14% of all ads found in violation in FY26. That was the largest violation category in the latest annual complaints report.
The Significance of Timing
In the eight months before the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act was enacted in August 2025, ASCI found an average of 594 ads for offshore betting per month. After the law went into effect, the average number jumped to 795 during the next four months.
ASCI identified 7,927 offshore betting ads in 2025. Of these, 6,933 were monitored and included in the April-to-December count.
These numbers reflect a lack of effective enforcement. The Indian government has taken steps toward restricting online money games and their promotion. Yet, operators outside India continue to advertise betting platforms through digital media.
Digital Platforms Carry Most Breaches
The wider report reveals how much advertising supervision has moved into an online environment. ASCI reviewed 11,581 cases during FY26, up 21% from the previous year. The number of ads scrutinized rose 37% to 9,841. Digital media accounted for 97.3% of ads checked for violations.
Sponsored advertisements on social media also contributed to concerns. These ads comprised 82% of the digital violations, and almost 80% of digital ad violations involved Meta Platforms.
This poses challenges for regulating offshore betting promotion. The creation and alteration of offshore betting ads can occur faster than traditional ad monitoring systems can keep up with.
Influencers Add a Harder Enforcement Layer
ASCI screened 1,609 influencer ads. About 97% required modification due to breaching advertising guidelines. Illegal betting made up about 54% of the violations associated with influencer promotions.
There were a total of 854 influencer violations involving offshore betting from April to December 2025. Some profiles seemed to have been created almost exclusively for offshore betting.
The issue is harder to control because promotions do not always appear as standard ads. They may come in the form of creator posts or social media tips.
From Lawmaking to Enforcement
India now has a national policy for online money gaming. The next test is how it works in practice. Platform responsibility, influencer oversight, and quicker takedowns are likely to get more attention. For regulators, the hard part is not only writing rules, but slowing the return of offshore betting ads across digital channels.
