Registration, Scrutiny, Enforcement: Playbook to tackle offshore betting surge

Offshore betting has become a top advertising violator, exposing regulatory gaps as experts call for stricter frameworks and enforcement to curb the growing menace.

By  Storyboard18Jul 5, 2025 8:48 AM
Registration, Scrutiny, Enforcement: Playbook to tackle offshore betting surge
At Storyboard18’s Digital Entertainment Summit 2025, independent legal advisor Gowree Gokhale moderated a panel discussion on ‘Effective Regulatory Structure for Online Gaming in India’, featuring Gopal Jain, senior counsel; Dhruv Garg, gaming and tech lawyer; Nandan Kamath, principal lawyer, LawNK; and Rakesh Maheshwari former senior director, MeitY.

Offshore betting platforms have surged to become India’s most violative advertising sector, accounting for 43 percent of cases flagged by the Advertising Standards Council of India in its 2024-2025 annual report, up sharply from 17 percent the previous year.

The figures highlight the regulatory challenges India faces as online gaming and betting operators, often based offshore, continue to find ways around existing frameworks. The issue took center stage at Storyboard18’s Digital Entertainment Summit 2025 during a panel discussion on creating an effective regulatory structure for online gaming in India.

Moderating the discussion, independent legal advisor Gowree Gokhale raised concerns about the rapid rise of offshore betting and questioned how a stronger legal framework could “nip offshore betting activity in the bud.”

Gopal Jain, senior counsel, underscored the need for a robust regulatory structure that mandates registration and requires companies to maintain registered offices in India to enable heightened scrutiny and monitoring. Reflecting on previous attempts to address the issue through legal avenues, Jain noted that attempts to file public interest litigations had been met with limited responses. “You make a representation to the government,” he recalled being told.

To tackle the issue effectively, Jain advocated for compulsory registration, regulatory scrutiny, and prompt yet effective enforcement by law enforcement agencies and regulators.

Expanding on the regulatory challenges, Nandan Kamath, principal lawyer at LawNK, argued that from a business standpoint, it is currently easier to operate an offshore betting site than one within India’s jurisdiction.

Kamath also highlighted the pervasive spread of surrogate advertising across buses, auto rickshaws, and billboards. While jurisdictional action is often seen as a last resort, Kamath pointed out that “jurisdiction isn't much of help when it came to online gaming and the harm caused by it.”

“We're in a very peculiar position where the greater harm is being left out,” Kamath added. “If we want to call other harms from the networked gaming ecosystem, it's like them getting stepchild treatment when the other one is getting first child treatment.”

As India’s online gaming and betting markets expand, regulators and legal experts appear aligned on one point: without a stronger enforcement framework, offshore betting will continue to flourish, undermining consumer protection and regulatory efforts in one of the world’s fastest-growing digital markets.

First Published on Jul 5, 2025 8:48 AM

More from Storyboard18

Digital

New NASSCOM forum aims to drive $500 billion India-US trade vision

New NASSCOM forum aims to drive $500 billion India-US trade vision

Digital

US Court blocks “Click‑to‑Cancel” rule; Cancelling Netflix, Prime Video subscription could soon be a hassle

US Court blocks “Click‑to‑Cancel” rule; Cancelling Netflix, Prime Video subscription could soon be a hassle

Digital

Tejas Networks' Q1 loss deepens to Rs 193.87 crore amid revenue decline

Tejas Networks' Q1 loss deepens to Rs 193.87 crore amid revenue decline

Digital

Instagram to make public posts searchable on Google,Bing

Instagram to make public posts searchable on Google,Bing

Digital

No new rules, just clearer language: YouTube updates monetisation guidelines

No new rules, just clearer language: YouTube updates monetisation guidelines

Digital

After YouTube, Meta crackdowns on 'unoriginal content'; removes 10 million fake Facebook profiles

After YouTube, Meta crackdowns on 'unoriginal content'; removes 10 million fake Facebook profiles

Brand Marketing

Microsoft's 2025 layoff ledger: More than 15,000 jobs axed in seven months

Microsoft's 2025 layoff ledger: More than 15,000 jobs axed in seven months

Brand Marketing

Quick-commerce's ad fee toll: Are Zepto, Blinkit, Instamart squeezing out small D2C brands?

Quick-commerce's ad fee toll: Are Zepto, Blinkit, Instamart squeezing out small D2C brands?