India’s parliament recently passed a sweeping law banning online gambling after government figures revealed that companies were stripping $2.3 billion annually from 450 million people. Officials state that the rapid proliferation of these platforms led to widespread financial distress, addiction, suicide, and links to fraud, money laundering, and terrorism financing.
However, the law has been challenged in court by a prominent online card games platform. The ban impacts websites and apps for card games and fantasy sports, including fantasy cricket, with offenders facing up to five years in prison.
Challenges and Evasion Tactics Some players and advertising professionals predict that offshore and unregulated websites will see a “sudden boom” as Indian gamblers seek ways to continue. “A habit once formed cannot be broken easily,” noted Adarsh Sharma, an advertising professional. “It is an addiction, and people will find ways to gamble.”
Gamblers are reportedly preparing to use virtual private networks (VPNs) and proxy credit cards to circumvent the ban. “We have done this before and will do it again,” one fan told AFP, adding, “We will go back to our old ways of making money.”
The Blurred Line: eSports vs. Gambling Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw clarified that the law separates still-legal eSports “from betting, gambling, and fantasy money games that exploit users with false promises of profit.”
Dream11, a leading fantasy sports platform with 260 million users, has announced the discontinuation of “cash games and contests,” now offering prizes like cars, phones, and refrigerators instead. The platform has also withdrawn from a $43 million deal with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
Impact on the Sports Industry The law is expected to significantly disrupt the broader sports industry, including the lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL). Fantasy platforms are major advertisers in cricket, and analysts predict they will now explore overseas markets. This shift will likely reduce advertising revenue for broadcasters, potentially impacting future media rights renewals for leagues like the IPL. “The fantasy guys will obviously reduce their ad spends because their business model is at stake—or actually destroyed due to the ban,” stated Santosh N of D and P Advisory.
