Unlawful Betting Could Reach its Peak in India Because of IPL
Title: Unmasking India's Booming Underground Gambling Scene
By: Lucas Dunn on 03/11/2025 | Photo by Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0
Shocking Stats: A Peek into the Secret World of Indian Gambling
The Indian gambling industry, shrouded in secrecy, is reportedly worth a whopping $100 billion annually, growing at an alarming rate of 30% each year. Here's a glimpse into the factors driving this clandestine empire.
Lucas, a seasoned copywriter, hailing from New Jersey, specializes in casino, software provider, and game reviews, news, and blogs. With a writing career spanning over six years, Lucas fares globally, serving clients from the US, UK, NZ, Australia, South Africa, and Canada. Before donning the writer's hat, he attended Rutgers University to pursue a psychology degree. After a brief detour into painting, he's now a full-time writer and occasional artist.
Insights from Lucas
The Darker Side of Digital India
The rapid growth in India's illegal gambling industry can be traced back to two primary factors: internet penetration and increasing disposable incomes. These factors have steered consumer preferences towards online gaming platforms, fueling the growth of online gambling. [Enrichment Data: The digital economy has diversified into mobile casual gaming, esports, and skill-based platforms, some bordering on gambling activities, attracting a massive user base.]
Loopholes in the Legal System
While gambling is generally illegal in India, the distinction between games of skill and games of chance creates loopholes that operators exploit to legalize certain forms of online gaming, contributing to the proliferation of illegal gambling. Furthermore, inadequate enforcement and regulatory gaps enable countless offshore gambling operators to operate without compliance, leading to a massive unregulated market. [Enrichment Data: Despite government efforts to block illegal gambling and betting websites, the number of these offshore platforms remains substantial with estimates suggesting $25-30 billion circulating through these channels.]
Market and Behavioral Forces
The popularity of fantasy sports apps like Dream11, driven by monetary incentives, sports fandom, and peer influence, has surged, fueling increased participation in quasi-gambling activities. Major sporting events like the Indian Premier League (IPL) drive heightened engagement in these platforms, catalyzing market expansion. [Enrichment Data: The addictive nature of these games, combined with the potential for monetary gain, attracts more players despite legal risks.]
The Need for a Unified Approach
India's fragmented and inconsistent regulatory framework across states complicates compliance and enforcement, with a lack of clear, progressive regulations differentiating legitimately skill-based games from gambling. Domestic gaming firms deal with onerous taxation and compliance, but offshore operators predominantly evade such obligations, creating an uneven playing field that encourages illegal market growth. [Enrichment Data: Current regulations are insufficient in addressing the illegal gambling industry effectively.]
- Lucas, a bachelor with an extensive background in casino and game reviews, is a copywriter who specializes in general-news relating to the gambling industry, operating from the US, UK, and other international regions.
- In the UK, lucas has uncovered a shocking statistic — the Indian gambling industry, although largely illegal, is reportedly worth a staggering $100 billion annually, with a startling growth rate of 30% each year.
- The rapid expansion of India's underground gambling scene can be attributed to factors like increasing disposable incomes and internet penetration that drive consumer preferences towards online gaming platforms, thus fueling the growth of illegal gambling.
- Besides governmental regulations, the blurred lines between games of skill and games of chance in India provide opportunities for offshore gambling operators to operate without compliance, contributing to a massive unregulated market valued at $25-30 billion.
- The addictive nature of fantasy sports apps like Dream11, combined with potential financial rewards, lures players into quasi-gambling activities despite the legal risks, further boosting the underground gambling scene in India.
