India’s prohibition on online real-money gaming has coincided with a marked increase in offshore betting activity, according to a new survey focused on users in the Delhi National Capital Region. Rather than reducing participation, the restriction appears to have redirected existing demand toward unregulated foreign platforms, where users report higher spending levels and longer play sessions.
The findings come from a survey of 1,000 adults who had previously participated in real-money gaming before the ban took effect. The research assessed changes in platform use, spending behaviour, and engagement patterns following the implementation of the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025, which entered into force in early autumn.
Offshore usage climbs as domestic options disappear
Survey results indicate that offshore platform usage increased from 68.3 percent before the ban to 82 percent afterward. This shift reflects a relative rise of about 20 percent compared to pre-ban levels, pointing to a sustained movement rather than a temporary response. Nearly one in four respondents reported beginning to use offshore betting services only after domestic platforms stopped operating, while a much smaller share discontinued offshore play altogether.
Commenting on these trends, Sohom Banerjee, Senior Research Associate at CUTS International, said:
“The survey indicates that users were already participating in real-money gaming earlier, both on domestic platforms and offshore ones. What appears to have changed is the distribution of where they play and spend, not necessarily the overall appetite for gaming.”
Banerjee explained that users who previously divided their activity across multiple channels may now concentrate all spending offshore. “If someone earlier spent ₹5,000 ($55.53) on regulated RMG and ₹5,000 ($55.53) offshore, that same total may now be fully directed toward offshore options because domestic platforms are not available,” he said.
Higher spending and longer sessions emerge post-ban
Beyond migration patterns, the data points to a clear escalation in financial engagement. Before the ban, offshore play was largely associated with low monthly spending. After the restrictions took effect, the proportion of users spending ₹5,000–₹9,999 per month rose from 7.6 percent to 26.2 percent. A further 13.5 percent reported monthly offshore spending above ₹10,000, a category that did not exist prior to the ban.
Engagement intensity increased alongside spending. Daily access to offshore platforms jumped from 3.4 percent before the ban to 42 percent afterward. Session length followed a similar trajectory, with users spending more than two hours per session rising from 3.4 percent to 44 percent.
Banerjee noted that respondents cited practical considerations for these changes. “Respondents also mentioned practical reasons such as familiar access routes, peer groups, ease of payments through unified payments interface or bank transfers and attractive promotional features,” he said. “These factors make offshore platforms a convenient alternative in the absence of regulated domestic choices.”
Legal, regulatory, and economic pressures deepen
The growing reliance on offshore operators raises enforcement challenges under India’s existing legal framework. Corporate lawyer Divya Sharma said jurisdictional limits make oversight difficult.
“Offshore operators sit outside India’s regulatory reach without new laws and international cooperation,” she said.
According to Sharma, many offshore platforms remain accessible by avoiding domestic compliance requirements. “The offshore platforms remain accessible because they evade Indian KYC/AML norms and use VPNs or mirror domains to stay online,” she said, adding that this makes prosecution “extremely difficult” under current laws.
The economic impact also extends beyond players. iGaming strategist Japneet Singh Sethi said the ban disrupted India’s domestic gaming ecosystem, particularly for smaller operators.
“The decision to ban definitely shattered a lot of Indian investors’ dreams to build something valuable and unique,” he said.
Sethi added that losses have spread across related industries. “The revenue loss is also significant for related industries like affiliates, media, influencers and sponsorships,” he said, noting that layoffs have followed across these sectors.
Looking ahead, Sethi said offshore growth is likely to continue without regulatory clarity. “Offshore has been growing consistently and that’s a fact,” he said. He also suggested that future policy could draw on international examples. “We have seen in other grey and black markets that demand does not go down whether it’s six or 12 months,” he said.
Banerjee warned that migration to unregulated platforms leaves users exposed to greater risks. “These patterns highlight the need for continued dialogue and balanced, evidence-informed policy thinking so that consumer interests are protected while ensuring that user behaviour is not pushed toward less-regulated alternatives,” he said.
Source:
Access to Offshore Betting Websites after the Online Gaming Ban: A Survey-Based Analysis (Delhi NCR), cuts-ccier.org, December 2025
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