Offshore platforms gained engagement after ban on real money games in India

A CUTS International survey shows offshore real-money gaming platforms saw sharp increases in usage and spending after India's ban, with domestic users shifting activity to overseas operators

The ban on real money games such as poker, ludo and rummy, and others last year has not deterred users, with many continuing to access such operators through offshore companies that have seen increased activity since the prohibition, a survey found.

 

The offshore platform usage rose from 67.6 per cent before the ban to 85.6 per cent after the PROG (The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming) Act was enacted in August 2025, according to CUTS International.

 

Among the states which were part of the survey, Maharashtra saw the highest shift towards offshore real-money gaming platforms, up from 66.17 per cent before the ban to 91.7 per cent after the ban on such games.

 

The survey highlighted the increased spending on offshore platforms as activity on such entities accelerated after the ban.

 

For example, in Maharashtra, the share of offshore users spending between Rs 5,000 and Rs 9,999 rose to 31 per cent post-ban, with 16 per cent spending between Rs 10,000 and Rs 24,999.

 

Around nine per cent spent more than Rs 25,000.

 

A similar trend was followed in other states such as Tamil Nadu.

 

In the southern Indian state, 25 per cent reported spending between Rs 5,000 and Rs 9,999, 21 per cent between Rs 10,000 and Rs 24,999, and nine per cent more than Rs 25,000 following the ban.

 

“These higher spending brackets were comparatively rare within offshore participation before the prohibition. The evidence suggests that spending categories previously concentrated within domestic environments are now reflected within offshore platforms,” the report stated.

 

Real-money games were banned in India to ensure safety from aspects such as financial harm, addiction, fraud and broader social risks.

 

Before the ban was enforced, offshore companies were present within the gaming ecosystem but played a secondary role in comparison to domestic real-money gaming platforms.

 

The domestic companies recorded higher-intensity participation in terms of financial expenditure and time commitment.

 

However, after domestic operators withdrew operations to comply with the law, both financial and temporal engagement seems to have been redirected towards offshore platforms, the report said.