Business & Finance
India faces online gambling debt crisis despite regulatory ban
Illegal betting platforms continue to draw massive traffic despite a legal prohibition, Al Jazeera reports.
The short version
- India instituted a ban on online money games in May 2026, yet offshore and unauthorised betting services continue operating at scale.[Al Jazeera]
- A 2025 CUTS International estimate found that the top 15 unauthorised platforms drew more than 5.4 billion visits from India in a single financial year.[Al Jazeera]
- The Advertising Standards Council of India escalated nearly 8,000 illicit offshore betting advertisements in 2025.[Al Jazeera]
- While gambling disorder has been linked to suicide risks, authorities and experts stress that gambling losses alone cannot be established as the sole cause in specific deaths.[Al Jazeera]
Key facts
- The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025, which banned all online money games and associated advertisements, took effect on May 1, 2026.[Al Jazeera]
- A CUTS International report estimated that the 15 largest unauthorised betting sites received over 5.4 billion visits from India during the 2024-25 fiscal year.[Al Jazeera]
- In 2024, India had approximately 591 million gamers, with the online gaming industry generating around $3.7 billion.[Al Jazeera]
- The Advertising Standards Council of India escalated 7,927 offshore betting advertisements in 2025.[Al Jazeera]
- A 2026 meta-analysis of 14 studies established significant correlations between gambling disorder and suicidal behaviour.[Al Jazeera]
What remains uncertain
- Experts and police officials note that individual suicide cases cannot establish gambling losses as the sole definitive cause.[Al Jazeera]
Sources
Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.