ASCI flags 4,578 illegal betting ads in 6 months; Stake and 4rabet top the list

New Delhi: Illegal betting and gambling promotions continue to swarm India’s digital platforms despite a clear statutory ban, the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) has found in its Half-Yearly Complaints Report for April–September 2025. Across all categories reviewed, offshore and other prohibited betting promotions emerged as the single most violative segment.

Between April and September 2025 alone, 4,575 offshore and illegal betting ads were escalated to the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (MIB), the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C), and the Directorate General of GST Intelligence (DGGI). Another three were reported as surrogates. In total, 4,578 cases of betting and gambling promotions were flagged, making it the single most violative category in Indian advertising.

The report bluntly stated that “Offshore/Illegal Betting and Gambling ads continue to target Indian consumers incessantly and lead objectionable advertisements.” This relentless digital bombardment, ASCI said, has turned the internet into a minefield of deceptive marketing, where ads for “games of skill” or “fun play” often mask full-fledged betting platforms operating outside Indian jurisdiction.

Based on the data, the top five advertisers with the highest total violations are led by Stake with 506 violations. Following closely are 4rabet (208) and Riffway International (Global India Enterprises) (107). Completing the top five are Reliance Broadcast Network Limited (68) and Ultrawin (67). These companies show the highest incidence of violations requiring modification.

The scale of illegality

The numbers are staggering. 99% of these betting ads were identified through proactive surveillance, not through consumer complaints, underscoring the stealthy nature of their spread. 91% were sponsored promotions, meaning they were paid, targeted advertisements that bought visibility to reach Indian audiences in violation of Indian law.

In fact, ASCI’s strengthened monitoring systems led to a 102% increase in ads reviewed for potential violations this year, “driven by stronger surveillance and public vigilance.” A sharp focus on this “high-risk sector,” the report says, “led to over 4,575 offshore/illegal betting ads being flagged.”

Despite the introduction of the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025, which establishes a clear ban on betting and real-money gaming, the ads kept flooding the Indian digital space. “ASCI’s monitoring demonstrates the widespread presence of offshore/illegal betting sites that are accessible to Indian consumers in violation of this Act,” the report observed, drawing attention to the scale of defiance.

Platforms fueling the problem

These violations were overwhelmingly digital. 97.24% of all flagged ads originated online, with Meta platforms (Facebook and Instagram) accounting for a massive 78.96%, followed by websites (13.75%), Google (4.59%), and smaller shares across property portals, OTT platforms, gaming streamers, and Telegram channels.

“Several advertisements have appeared on multiple platforms,” ASCI noted, pointing to cross-platform ad buys that amplify reach and evade detection. What emerged is a pattern of deep digital integration, where offshore betting companies leverage every possible medium, from social media to programmatic advertising, to reach Indian audiences.

Influencers: The covert carriers

The scandal extends beyond algorithmic ads. ASCI’s deep dive into influencer marketing revealed how betting brands are using digital celebrities as soft propagandists. Out of 1,173 influencer advertisements examined during this period, more than 75% pertained to betting, with 683 influencer promotions directly tied to offshore or illegal betting.

The report found that 98% of these influencer ads required modification, while 59% were promoting products disallowed by law, including betting platforms. Many influencers buried or omitted disclosure labels, pretending paid partnerships were organic endorsements.

The Watchdog’s Counter-Offensive

Faced with this deluge, ASCI has built a rapid-response mechanism. Betting-related violations now trigger daily reporting to I4C and MIB for swift takedowns. The council described how enhanced monitoring and daily escalations have become essential to counter “the high volume of sponsored betting ads.” Its enforcement pipeline, spanning digital surveillance, complaint resolution, and regulator liaison, has helped achieve an average complaint resolution time of just 17 days across all categories.

“Of the ads that required modification, 4,859 cases were reported to the government, as these ads were disallowed by law,” the report stated, highlighting the scale at which illegal promotions are being managed.

But this is not just a compliance issue; it’s a systemic rot that corrodes trust and lawfulness. In the report’s most striking section, CEO and Secretary General Manisha Kapoor warned, “The widespread exposure to betting ads despite the ban, as well as the disappointing standards set by top influencers, are some challenges that have come to the fore in our recent work. Consumer trust can be fragile in the digital age, and such practices create problems for the industry at large.”

Kapoor added that ASCI has intensified cooperation with government authorities, saying, “We continue sharing information and data with statutory regulators for action within the legal framework. For repeat and willful violators, stringent action by regulators would set a strong deterrent and help protect consumer interests.”

A digital hydra

The report’s findings also exposed how illegal betting operators have weaponised social media’s ad infrastructure. By blending in with legitimate online gaming, they exploit loopholes in content moderation and advertising filters. The result: ordinary consumers are bombarded with attractive offers that link to offshore platforms promising quick wins, cashback, and “fun play”, all illegal under Indian law.

ASCI’s data reflected the sheer velocity of the problem. The 70% rise in total complaints and 102% surge in ads processed over the same period last year were driven largely by betting-related content. The watchdog’s vigilance has improved, but so have the methods of offenders. Offshore advertisers now use foreign payment gateways and hide their servers overseas, and geo-target Indian audiences, making enforcement nearly impossible through conventional routes.

The self-regulatory model can flag and report, but it cannot prosecute. The real deterrent, Kapoor suggested, must come from coordinated enforcement and regulatory crackdowns.