On January 17, the Indian government launched a new round of enforcement actions, successfully shutting down 242 illegal gambling website links. This move has brought the total number of illegal gambling platforms investigated in India to over 7800, demonstrating a zero-tolerance attitude towards online gambling violations. This action is a continued effort following the implementation of the "2025 Online Gaming Promotion and Regulation Act," with the core purpose of protecting users, especially adolescents and vulnerable groups, from predatory platforms and resolving the financial chaos brought by illegal gambling. As the new legal framework progressively advances, India's regulation of online gambling is tightening comprehensively. Cases of illegal gambling management and compliance standards can be referenced on the PASA official website.
Enforcement Upgrade: Over 7800 Illegal Platforms Investigated
The Indian government's crackdown actions are characterized by normalization and high intensity:
Latest achievements: On January 17 alone, 242 illegal gambling website links were shut down, covering various types of online gambling services;
Cumulative results: Since the special rectification started, more than 7800 illegal platforms have been taken down, forming a strong deterrent;
Enforcement targets: Clearly focused on "preventing harm, protecting rights," primarily targeting illegal gambling platforms that lure vulnerable groups with quick profits, curbing addiction and financial loss issues.
Legal Support: The "Online Gaming Act" Sets Clear Boundaries
The intensive enforcement is backed by a robust new legal framework:
Legislation implementation: The "2025 Online Gaming Promotion and Regulation Act" was passed by the parliament in August 2025 and approved by the president, explicitly prohibiting online monetary gambling within India and any game operations involving betting or cash prize exchanges;
Severe penalties: Operators of platforms violating the act can face up to 3 years in prison and fines up to 100 million rupees; advertisers for illegal platforms can face up to 2 years in prison and fines up to 5 million rupees, marking the "strictest ever" penalties;
Boundaries clarified: The act clearly distinguishes between legal skill-based social games, esports, and illegal monetary games, allowing operators and consumers to clearly understand compliance boundaries.
Regulatory Framework: Planning a Dedicated Agency, Rules Pending Final Implementation
India is building a full-chain regulatory system to ensure enforceable regulations:
Rule advancement: In October 2025, the "2025 Online Gaming Promotion and Regulation Rules (Draft)" was opened for public comments, receiving about 2500 feedbacks, with the final rules still under consideration and the implementation date not yet clear;
Institution planning: Plans to establish the "Indian Online Gaming Authority" as the core regulatory body of the industry, responsible for game registration, approval, compliance checks, and maintaining a national list of legal games, with powers similar to a civil court, able to suspend or revoke the registration of violating platforms, impose fines, and instruct banks and service providers to block illegal platforms;
Long-term goals: As the regulatory system matures and the dedicated agency operates, future enforcement will further expand, forming a complete closed loop of "legislation - regulation - enforcement."
Core Direction: Regulating the Industry and Promoting Legal Operations Simultaneously
The Indian government's regulatory actions are not "one-size-fits-all" but adhere to a dual direction of "cracking down on illegal and supporting legal" operations:
Focus on harm: Clearly stating that illegal gambling can cause family financial losses, addiction, and other socio-economic issues, and compulsive use risks must be prevented through strict regulation as gaming disorder has been recognized as a health issue globally;
Supporting legal: Recognizing the role of esports and social-oriented games in driving technology and creative industries, explicitly stating the encouragement of such legal business developments;
Continued efforts: The enforcement actions are still dynamically progressing, with the government sorting out industry feedback, and further strengthening the legal boundaries of online gambling activities based on the final rules.
————
This article is from "PASA-Global iGaming Leader," a gambling industry news channel:https://t.me/pasa_news
Original in-depth gambling channel:https://t.me/gamblingdeep
Free data reports: @pasa_research
PASA Matrix: @pasa002_bot
PASA official website: https://www.pasa.news
