Centre bars 300 illegal gambling, betting sites as crackdown intensifies under Gaming Act

In a significant move to combat illegal gambling and betting websites, the Centre has taken action to block 300 of these websites and applications, sources said on Friday (March 20).

The blocked websites and applications pertain to online sports betting platforms, online casinos that provide slots, roulette, and live dealer tables, as well as betting exchanges that operate similarly to peer-to-peer betting marketplaces.

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Measures have also been implemented against satta/matka gambling networks, as well as real-money card and casino game applications.

Around 8,400 websites blocked

According to sources, the government has prohibited 300 of these websites and applications, intensifying its crackdown on illegal gambling and betting platforms.

According to one source, around 8,400 such websites have been blocked so far, and the majority (about 4,900 out of 8,400) were blocked after the passage of the Online Gaming Act.

The Centre has all along asserted it is committed to ensuring a safe, responsible and accountable online gaming ecosystem in the country.

In this context, the government enacted the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025, to promote innovation in e-sports and online social games and prohibit online money games.

All online money games prohibited

The Gaming Act comprehensively prohibits all forms of online money games, be it games of chance, games of skill, or any combination. It also prohibits the advertising, promotion, and facilitation of such games, as well as the processing of related financial transactions through banks or payment systems.

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The Act additionally grants authorities the power to restrict access to illegal platforms in accordance with the stipulations of the Information Technology Act, 2000. The Gaming Act imposes severe penalties for any infractions.

Under this, offering online money games or facilitating financial transactions for such online money games may attract imprisonment of up to three years or a fine of up to Rs 1 crore, or both.

Moreover, a second or subsequent conviction for offering or facilitating online money games attracts a minimum of three years of imprisonment (may extend up to 5 years), and a fine of minimum Rs 1 crore (may extend up to Rs 2 crore).

Advertising such online money games is punishable with imprisonment of up to two years or a fine of up to Rs 50 lakh or both. Subsequent conviction for advertising such online money games involves more severe consequences.

Grievance-redressal system

Additionally, the Gaming Act also provides for the recognition and promotion of e-sports and online social games, the establishment of the Online Gaming Authority of India, a transparent registration mechanism for online games, a grievance-redressal system for users, and safeguards against prohibited online money games and associated harms.

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The Online Gaming Authority at the national level will oversee the classification and registration of allowable games, assess whether a game qualifies as a money game, issue codes of conduct, and handle public complaints.

The national-level Online Gaming Authority will be responsible for classifying and registering permissible games, determining whether a game constitutes a money game, issuing codes of practice, and addressing public grievances.

(With agency inputs)