Explosive Growth in Illegal Online Gambling

NEW DELHI: The landscape of illegal online financial activities in India, particularly betting and gambling, has witnessed an unprecedented surge. A recent report by the Digital India Foundation sheds light on this alarming trend, revealing that digital platforms have recorded a staggering 1.6 billion visits in just three months across four major websites.

The report highlights that the majority of these visits were organic, surpassing 184 million, which is significantly higher than the 42.8 million visits generated through social media platforms. Mirror websites have also played a crucial role in this booming illegal market, with three Parimatch mirror sites alone accounting for an additional 266 million visits.

Challenges in Enforcement

"Despite repeated government actions, including website blocking and advisories, illegal operators continue to thrive, leveraging advanced digital marketing tactics, seamless payment processing, and mirror websites to evade enforcement," the report stated. The success of these platforms is attributed to sophisticated digital marketing strategies and frictionless payment processing, which allow them to bypass enforcement measures.

Global Insights and Recommendations

The study cited global experiences from countries like the UK, Norway, Denmark, Belgium, and the United States, where website blocking alone proved ineffective. These countries have seen greater success by combining website restrictions with marketing bans, payment blocking, and curated whitelists and blocklists. To address this growing challenge, the report emphasized the need for a more holistic, ecosystem-based approach.

"India must shift from its fragmented enforcement strategy to a comprehensive, ecosystem-based approach that effectively disrupts the key enablers sustaining illegal betting and gambling operations," the report suggested. It recommended stricter controls on digital media channels, tighter financial regulations, and enhanced enforcement mechanisms to ensure the long-term disruption of illegal betting networks.