India's Betting Ban Sputters as Offshore Operators Go 'Surrogate'

16 September 2026

When the Indian Ministry of Information & Broadcasting warned media platforms to stop showing ads from offshore betting sites last October, it seemed a clear directive. But advertisers found loopholes - and affiliate marketers and OTT platforms remain under scrutiny.

The Ministry ordered major media houses to avoid advertisements, promotions, and surrogates of offshore betting platforms on 03 October 2022. The directive named platforms like Fairplay, PariMatch, and Betway as examples of operators planting ads on television sports channels and OTT platforms. In addition to existing legal bans, the Ministry justified the advisory with existing laws like the Cable TV Network Regulation Act 1995, the Consumer Protection Act 2019, and the IT Rules, 2021.

Yet despite the comprehensive warning, external data shows that illegal betting promotions actually increased on digital platforms in the months following. Figures published by the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) indicate that between April and August 2023, over 700 allegedly violative advertisements from betting and gambling companies were reported to the Ministry - up from the 311 such ads reported in the preceding financial year.

"Offshore operators continue to display betting and gaming advertisements across digital media, evading the law through disguise techniques," states ASCI's latest annual report. It adds that 7,927 offshore betting ads were recorded in 2023 alone, predominantly in the form of ads, posts, and links on websites.

These promotions frequently masquerade as news or sports content. Investigations by The Economic Times noted how Parimatch in particular has floated subsidiaries like "Parimatch Sports" and "Parimatch News", which act as proxy channels to run surrogate promotions. An August 2023 report also observed that betting platforms are piggybacking on social media influencers and messaging apps to reach Indian users.

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Parimatch is not the only entity in the cross-hairs. As of 2024, the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) has reported a surge in the number of illegal gambling ads from overseas operators, with digital media accounting for nearly 97 percent of the offending ads. In light of the escalating problem, the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting has recently reiterated its warnings to all digital media platforms to refrain from displaying betting ads and surrogates.

The regulators' scrutiny has touched other aspects of the media industry, too. A European Gaming report in August 2023 revealed that Parimatch is being investigated for its alleged involvement with advertising and media agencies. Across India, similar crackdowns have started to puncture the betting industry's get-rich schemes, with the Enforcement Directorate seizing ₹110 crore and 1,200 credit cards from 17 investigated locations last year.

However, monitoring all of the surrogate promotions has proven challenging. Some reports suggest the reach of promotions from international betting sites often occurs through subtle channels outside of direct advertising. A government statement from 2022 noted that betting-platform promotions remain visible on news platforms and OTT players' content, some of whom are recipients of surrogate marketing.

So even though banning betting isn't new in India, the Ministry continues to face the uphill task of enforcing its October warning in every ad revenue statement, media house content sales department, and OTT platform publisher contract. Other operators, including international companies, have so far been able to navigate similar limits. The consistent problem of determining surrogate marketing remains. As a result, the rise in gambling ads continues - and the cat-and-mouse game persists between regulators, operators, and publishers.