New Delhi [India]: Illegal betting and gambling activities in India have witnessed a significant surge, with 1.6 billion visits recorded across four major betting websites in just three months, according to a report by the Digital India Foundation.
Key Findings from the Report
The report highlighted several alarming trends:
🔹 Organic Search Traffic Dominates:
- 184 million visits were driven organically, surpassing social media traffic, which accounted for 42.8 million visits.
🔹 Mirror Websites Play a Major Role:
- Just three Parimatch mirror sites generated an additional 266 million visits, underscoring the scale of the illegal market.
🔹 Direct URL Access:
- Over 1.098 billion visits came directly from users entering URLs, suggesting effective marketing strategies and user retention tactics by illegal operators.
Digital Platforms and Advertising
Despite major digital platforms banning gambling-related promotions, the report flagged that enforcement is inconsistent. Advertising on networks like Facebook Ad Network has grown exponentially, further amplifying illegal betting platforms.
Government Efforts and Challenges
Despite website blocks, public advisories, and government interventions, illegal betting platforms have managed to thrive by leveraging:
✅ Advanced digital marketing tactics
✅ Seamless payment processing
✅ Mirror websites to bypass restrictions
Potential Risks: Money Laundering and Terror Financing
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance previously raised concerns about these platforms being linked to money laundering and terror financing.
Global Insights and Recommendations
The report cites experiences from countries like Norway, UK, Denmark, Belgium, and the United States, where stronger measures have proven more effective.
Proposed Solution for India
The report recommends India adopt a holistic ecosystem-based strategy to effectively tackle illegal betting operations. This strategy should include:
🔹 Marketing restrictions on digital platforms
🔹 Payment blocking mechanisms to cut financial channels for illegal operators
🔹 Enhanced enforcement tools to ensure long-term disruption
By implementing these measures, the report suggests India can better combat the growing threat of illegal betting, which poses serious risks to both economic stability and public welfare