As part of an ecosystem approach to dismantle the fast-growing illegal online gaming sector in India, big tech players like Meta and Google need to play a significant role, according to a report released today by the Digital India Foundation. The foundation is a not-for-profit think tank fostering digital inclusion and development. The report titled ‘Illegal Gambling and Betting Market in India: The Scale and Enablers’ analysed digital platform policies and found that while strict regulations exist for paid advertisements, enforcement remains inconsistent.
Dr. Arvind Gupta, the Head and Co-Founder of Digital India Foundation said, “The mushrooming and growth of illegal betting platforms have created an atmosphere where Indian users visiting these sites often get comfortable and desensitized to the fact that they are engaging with illegal platforms. To effectively address this concerning issue, relying solely on standalone measures like blocking these illegal websites is not sufficient. Instead, a more comprehensive strategy is needed—one that targets the entire ecosystem enabling operations of illegal betting and gambling. This involves targeting user acquisition done through advertising, payment operators, and software providers supporting these platforms.”
The Indian government has attempted to curb these activities through website blocking and official advisories, but these measures in isolation have had limited effectiveness, as illegal operators continue to function with impunity, constantly adapting to evade enforcement. Hence, Indian government departments such as MIB, I4C, DGGI, the Department of Consumer Affairs, and MeitY should together or separately establish collaboration or arrangements with digital advertising intermediaries, including social media platforms, search engines, and ad networks, to proactively monitor, flag, and remove illegal betting and gambling-related advertisements.
Specific measures that can be undertaken in India are strict enforcement of ad policies to ban direct paid advertisements, enhanced content moderation to flag or remove user-generated content relating to illegal betting markets, and immediate suspension of influencers promoting illegal operators. Again, search results on search engines need to be downgraded to provide safe browsing options for players.