India’s online gaming ban drives surge in offshore gambling, survey finds

New research suggests the prohibition on real-money games has pushed players toward unregulated foreign platforms.

India.- A survey by consumer organisation CUTS International suggests that the use of offshore gambling platforms in India has jumped by 20 per cent since the country banned online real-money games.

The study surveyed 1,000 former real-money gaming users in the Delhi NCR region, comparing behaviour before and after the ban came into force in September 2025. Use of offshore platforms rose from 68.3 per cent before the ban to 82 per cent afterwards, with almost one in four respondents saying they only started using offshore sites after domestic platforms were shut down.

Spending levels have also increased, according to the survey. The proportion of users who spent between INR5,000 (US$55) and INR9,999 (US$120) per month on offshore platforms has risen from 7.6 to 26.2 per cent, while 13.5 per cent of respondents reported spending more than INR10,000 (US$120+) per month.

Daily use of offshore betting platforms from 3.4 per cent before the ban to 42 per cent afterwards, and the proportion of users spending more than two hours per session from 3.4 to 44 per cent.

CUTS say the ban has changed where people play and spend, rather than reducing overall demand, raising consumer-protection concerns. It says it’s conducting surveys in other states to assess whether the same trends are emerging nationwide.

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New research suggests the prohibition on real-money games has pushed players toward unregulated foreign platforms. India.- A survey by consumer organisation CUTS International suggests that the use of offshore gambling…