Gambling

Real-money games ban drove users to offshore platforms, survey shows

A CUTS survey finds offshore platforms gained sharply after India's real-money games ban, with their share of daily play rising to 42% and users spending more time on unregulated sites

How NBA players and NY mafia families allegedly ran a gambling scheme

Just days into the 2024-25 season, US pro basketball was shaken by news Thursday of wide-ranging federal indictments involving alleged illegal gambling

SC to hear PIL seeking ban on online gambling masquerading as e-sports

The Supreme Court agreed to hear on Friday a PIL filed by the Centre for Accountability and Systemic Change (CASC) seeking directions to the Centre to prohibit online gambling and betting platforms that allegedly operate under the guise of social and e-sports games. A bench comprising Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran took note of the submissions of lawyer Virag Gupta, appearing for the CASC, on Thursday and agreed to hear the PIL on October 17. The plea has sought a direction to union ministries of Electronics and Information Technology, Information and Broadcasting, Finance and Youth Affairs and Sports to do a harmonious interpretation of provisions of Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025 and laws made by State Legislatures, to prohibit online gambling and betting games operating in the guise of social and e-sports games. The petition, filed on October 13 through advocates Virag Gupta and Rupali Panwar, names six respondents, including four union

Online betting case: Urvashi Rautela appears before ED in PMLA case

Actor and model Urvashi Rautela on Tuesday appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case linked to an online betting and gaming platform named 1xbet, official sources said. The 31-year-old is the India ambassador of the platform, registered in the Caribbean island of Curacao. The federal probe agency has begun recording her statement under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the sources said. The ED has questioned cricketers such as Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Robin Uthappa and Shikhar Dhawan apart from actors Sonu Sood, Mimi Chakraborty (a former TMC MP) and Ankush Hazra (Bengali cinema) as part of this investigation over the last few weeks. Some online influencers have also been questioned. The agency is also expected to attach assets worth crores of rupees of some sportspersons and actors under the anti-money laundering law as part of the probe. The investigation into the case related to the portal 1xBet found that som

'Will not challenge new law': Rummy operator Gameskraft suspends RMG ops

The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act bans all online money games while promoting e-sports and social gaming

Winzo, Nazara-backed Pokerbaazi suspend real-money online gaming offerings

Online gaming platforms WinZO and Nazara Technologies-backed Moonshine Technologies (PokerBaazi) on Friday said that they have suspended their real-money online gaming operations in the wake of the Online Gaming Bill, 2025, passed in the Parliament on Thursday. The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025, enforces a blanket ban on all forms of real-money online games, while encouraging the growth of e-sports and free-to-play social games. In a regulatory filing, Nazara Technologies said that its associate company Moonshine Technologies Pvt Ltd, which owns and operates PokerBaazi, has suspended its real-money offerings in line with the new legislation. "Pursuant to the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025, passed by the Parliament on August 21, 2025 and pending enactment, we wish to inform that, as a matter of abundant caution and in due respect of the government's mandate, Moonshine Technologies Private Limited, an associate company in which Nazara ...

Online Gaming Bill: Lok Sabha passes legislation to ban online money games

The Bill was passed by a voice vote after brief remarks by Minister of Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw, amid protests from Opposition lawmakers

Real money gaming: 450 mn persons lose ₹20,000 crore annually, says govt

The government estimates that around 45 crore people lose close to Rs 20,000 crore every year in online real money gaming, an official source said on Wednesday. According to the source, the government has realised that online real money gaming is a major problem for society and chose to forego revenue loss in preference to people's welfare. "There is a rough estimate that 45 crore people lose money every year. The total impact of the loss is estimated to be tentatively around Rs 20,000 crore," the source added. The government has tabled "Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill 2025" in the Lok Sabha, which proposes to promote eSports and online social gaming while banning money gaming in any form. "Online gaming involving money has become a major problem for society. Every Parliamentarian has raised concerns about its ill effects. Between revenue from one-third of the industry segment and society welfare, the government has chosen society welfare," the source said. Accordin

Explainer: Online real money games and why govt is seeking to ban them

If passed, the online gaming bill could shut down the RMG industry, which employs 200,000 people and contributes ₹20,000 crore in GST annually

AAP councillor among seven booked in Delhi under Public Gambling Act

An AAP councillor was among the seven individuals held in connection with an illegal betting racket, which was busted in the Swaroop Nagar area of outer north Delhi, an official said on Sunday. Acting on a tip-off, a team from the Swaroop Nagar Police Station conducted a raid and booked seven people allegedly involved in gambling activities under Sections 3 (penalty for owning or keeping, or having charge of, a gaming-house) and four (penalty for being found in a gaming-house) of the Public Gambling Act, 1867. Among those named in the case is Joginder Singh, alias Bunty, a sitting municipal councillor from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), police sources said. A senior police officer confirmed that Singh's name surfaced during the initial investigation, and further inquiry is underway to determine his involvement. Reacting to the incident, Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva stated that a new face of the Aam Aadmi Party leaders has emerged ever since the party lost power in the national

People betting, gambling in name of IPL via online apps: Supreme Court

The Supreme Court on Friday said people were betting and gambling in the garb of Indian Premier League and sought the Centre's response on a PIL seeking to regulate betting applications. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh issued notice to the Centre on a plea filed by K A Paul, who claimed many children had died suicide after using online betting and gambling applications. The petitioner alleged several online influencers, actors and cricketers were promoting such online apps, luring children in the process. Paul said in case of cigarettes, packs had pictures indicating the ill-effects of smoking, but in case of betting apps, no such caution was publicised and even former Indian team cricketers promoted the applications during the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL). The bench said, "In the name of IPL, a lot of people are betting and indulging in gambling. This is a serious issue." Paul claimed of representing "millions of parents" whose children have died in the

Significant improvement in tackling online gambling, betting, says Vaishnaw

The government on Wednesday said there has been a significant improvement in tackling online gambling and betting activities, with more than 1,000 betting and gambling websites banned in 2024. Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister for Electronics and Information Technology, told the Lok Sabha that both state governments and the Centre have to work together to deal with such activities. Responding to supplementaries during the Question Hour, the minister asserted that whenever any instances of violations come to the notice of the central government, action is taken within the Constitutional framework. Various members raised concerns about online gambling activities and violent online games adversely impacting young people. According to Vaishnaw, 1,097 betting and gambling websites were banned in 2024 and with coordination among various agencies handling cyber-related crimes, there has been a significant improvement in dealing with such activities. Overall, a good legal framework is being made

Meta, Google must help combat India's illegal gambling, betting mkt: Study

A report by not-for-profit think tank Digital India Foundation states that the illegal gambling and betting ecosystem in India exceeds $100 billion annually and is growing at 30 per cent per year

Kingpin of Rs 2.2K cr gambling racket held in UAE, brought back to Gujarat

In a coordinated effort, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Gujarat police and Interpol NCB-Abu Dhabi on Sunday brought back the alleged kingpin of an over Rs 2,273 crore gambling racket apprehended in the UAE, an official said. A Red Notice was issued against the accused, Dipakkumar Dhirajlal Thakkar, wanted by the Gujarat police for cases of criminal breach of trust, cheating, forgery, criminal conspiracy, causing disappearance of evidence and offences under the Information Technology Act and Prevention of Gambling Act, the CBI said in a statement. Thakkar is an accused in a criminal case registered on March 25, 2023, at Madhavpura police station, Ahmedabad, for operating an international gambling racket. According to the CBI, he is allegedly a kingpin of an international illegal criminal gambling racket, operating through special software applications and using hawala channels for the dispersal of proceeds of crime reported to be more than Rs 2,273 crore. The probe agenc

France charges Telegram CEO Pavel Durov with child pornography, drug crimes

Telegram is also facing accusations of not cooperating with authorities by withholding information, engaging in money laundering

Telegram under scanner for extortion, gambling; messaging app may face ban

Investigation against Telegram is being conducted by the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre under the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology

'Discount broking space getting overcrowded; Sensex can hit 100,000'

Globally, growing number of parliamentarians are worried about legitimised gambling via stock exchanges which has social and financial implications, said CJ George, founder & MD, Geojit Financial

Singapore gets tough on casinos in new measures to check terrorism funding

Casinos in Singapore will soon face tighter rules on conducting due diligence checks when receiving cash as part of updated measures to counter terrorism financing, the country's gambling regulatory body said on Monday. Due diligence checks will have to be carried out when casinos receive a cash deposit of SGD 4,000 (USD 2,950) or more into a customer's account - down from the current threshold of SGD 5,000. The new threshold for due diligence checks was among the measures laid out in Singapore's updated National Strategy for Countering the Financing of Terrorism, jointly published on Monday by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the Ministry of Finance (MOF) and the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS). "The adjustment is made so that Singapore casinos can better combat money laundering and terrorism financing and align our requirements with FATF standards," the Gambling Regulatory Authority (GRA) said. The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) is a global money laundering and ...

Press Council cautions newspapers against gambling, betting advertisements

The Press Council of India on Friday cautioned the print media against publication of advertisements promoting betting and gambling platforms. In an advisory, the Press Council of India (PCI) asked the print media to strictly adhere to the directives issued by the Central Consumer Protection Authority on prohibition of advertising/promotion of any unlawful activities prohibited under various laws. The advisory comes in the wake of increasing instances of direct as well as surrogate advertisements and endorsement of activities considered illegal such as betting or gambling.

CCPA warns celebrities, influencers to refrain from promoting gambling

Concerned over rising instances of advertisements related to betting and gambling, consumer watchdog CCPA on Wednesday issued an advisory warning celebrities and influencers to refrain from promoting such illegal activities. The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) warned all stakeholders that stringent action would be taken for endorsements of illegal activities, including betting and gambling. "In response to increasing instances of advertisements promoting illegal activities such as betting and gambling, the CCPA has issued a comprehensive advisory," an official statement said. The advisory, in accordance with the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, has emphasised the prohibition of advertising, promotion, and endorsement of unlawful activities that are prohibited under various laws. "Betting and gambling are strictly prohibited under the Public Gambling Act, 1867, and are considered illegal in the majority of regions across the country. Despite this, online betting platforms