India Blocks 242 Betting Sites as Online Gaming Law Tightens

India has stepped up action against unauthorised online betting by blocking 242 more websites, as authorities continue to enforce the country’s new online gaming law. The move adds to a growing list of platforms taken offline since the rules came into force in late 2025, with officials pointing to concerns around user safety and illegal money-based gaming.

Government officials said the latest set of blocks brings the total number of illegal betting and gambling platforms shut down so far to more than 7,800. Monitoring and enforcement have increased sharply since the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025, became operational on October 1 last year.

Officials told news agency ANI, The Government of India today blocked 242 illegal betting and gambling website links. So far, more than 7,800 such platforms have been taken down, with enforcement action intensifying after the Online Gaming Act was passed,” underlining the scale of the ongoing crackdown.

The current action follows the rollout of the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, also known as PROGA. President Droupadi Murmu approved the legislation in August 2025 after Parliament passed it earlier in the year. While the law itself was enacted months before, the detailed rules took effect on October 1, setting the stage for tighter oversight of online gaming activity.

Since then, authorities have focused on identifying platforms that offer real money games and betting services, which are now banned nationwide. Officials said many of the blocked websites allowed users to wager money with the chance of winning cash or other financial rewards, a practice the law explicitly prohibits.

Enforcement teams have also paid close attention to how these platforms attract users. Several of the banned sites were found promoting their services through digital ads, social media posts, and online influencers, despite restrictions on advertising and promotion under the Act.

PROGA aims to bring uniform rules to India’s digital gaming sector, which had previously been governed by a mix of state-level laws. The Act draws a clear line between permitted online games and prohibited activities.

Under the law, all money-based gaming and betting platforms are outlawed. This includes any online game where users put in money with the expectation of winning or losing their deposit. The ban extends beyond the platforms themselves to cover advertising, promotions, and financial transactions linked to such services.

At the same time, the legislation allows non-monetised online games, along with esports and social gaming platforms that do not involve wagering. These services can operate under defined guidelines, with the stated aim of supporting skill-based play and responsible use without exposing users to financial risk.

Officials have clarified that individual players will not face penalties for participating in money-based online games. Instead, the law targets those who run, promote, advertise, or fund illegal platforms. Penalties include financial fines and other legal measures against operators and associated entities.

The focus, according to officials, remains on cutting access to these websites and disrupting the financial and promotional networks that support them. This includes action against payment channels and backers linked to illegal betting operations.

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The Act also sets out plans for a National Online Gaming Commission, which will oversee licensing, compliance, and grievance handling for permitted platforms. The regulator is expected to work with central and state agencies to ensure the rules apply consistently across the country.

Despite thousands of blocks, experts have warned that illegal operators can be difficult to shut down completely. A 2025 report by the policy consultancy Digital India Foundation noted that many sites rely on “URL switching,” where operators quickly move to new domain names to stay accessible. The report also flagged the use of “mule” accounts held in the names of ordinary Indians to move funds out of the country, making recovery harder.

Officials say the continuing enforcement drive reflects wider concerns about the harm linked to illegal online betting, including financial losses, addiction, and the exposure of minors to unlawful platforms. With the law now fully in force, authorities signal that monitoring and takedowns will continue as they try to curb illegal gaming activity.

Source:

India blocks 242 illegal betting sites under gaming act, sigma.world, January 19, 2026.