A survey by CUTS International has found that the use of offshore betting platforms increased after online gambling was banned under the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act (PROGA). Conducted in the Delhi NCR region, the survey assessed early behavioural shifts following the prohibition on real-money gaming. It covered 1,000 adult respondents who had participated in online money-based gaming before the ban and may have continued playing on offshore or unregulated platforms afterward.
Researchers used a non-probability sampling approach, combining purposive sampling, snowball referrals, and a pre-verified database developed through earlier studies on online gamers. Respondents qualified if they had played real-money games at least once before September 1, 2025, a date chosen because most major platforms had already stopped monetary transactions ahead of formal enforcement.
The PROGA, which received presidential assent on August 22, 2025, introduced a nationwide ban on all forms of real-money gaming, covering both games of skill and games of chance. Consequently, the law prohibited Indian platforms from offering any wagering or stake-based online play, as well as related payments and advertisements. The legislation aimed to address concerns surrounding financial loss, addiction, and fraud through blanket prohibition.
Following the implementation of the PROGA, the CUTS International survey recorded a clear shift in user behaviour towards offshore betting platforms across Delhi NCR. Offshore usage rose from 68.3% before the ban to 82.0% after it, marking an absolute increase of 13.7% and a relative rise of 20.1%. Additionally, 24.7% of respondents who had never used offshore sites earlier began using them post-ban, while only 11.0% stopped, producing a net migration of 13.7% of the total sample.
Spending patterns also intensified. Before September 1, 2025, 42.5% of users spent Rs 0–999 per month and 49.9% spent Rs 1,000–4,999, while 7.6% reported spending Rs 5,000–9,999, and none exceeded Rs 10,000. After the ban, the lowest spending bracket fell to 12.7%, while 47.4% spent Rs 1,000–4,999 and 26.2% spent Rs 5,000–9,999. Notably, 7.2% reported monthly spending of Rs 10,000–24,999 and 6.3% spent Rs 25,000 or more.
The frequency of play shifted sharply as well. Daily offshore users jumped from 3.4% pre-ban to 42.3% post-ban. Meanwhile, those playing 1–2 days a week declined from 53.0% to 28.2%, and those logging on less than once weekly fell from 18.9% to 3.7%.
Session lengths increased significantly. Before the ban, 45.1% played for 15–30 minutes, and only 3.4% exceeded two hours per session. Afterward, 44.% reported sessions longer than two hours, while short sessions under 15 minutes dropped to 3.7%.
Playing volume also intensified. The share playing more than five sessions daily surged from 3.4% to 38.3%, while single daily sessions fell from 51.2% to 3.7%, indicating a shift towards more frequent and sustained offshore engagement.
After the ban, encrypted messaging groups on Telegram and WhatsApp became the primary access route, moving to the top rank from second place. Direct website or app access shifted to second, indicating that users are increasingly seeking out offshore platforms deliberately rather than encountering them passively. Friend referrals dropped to third, while social media advertisements and influencer links declined in relevance, likely due to tighter enforcement and moderation. Mirror links, alternate domains, and pre-saved QR codes saw modest growth but remained secondary access channels.
Payment behaviour showed heavy reliance on domestic banking systems. UPI transfers to merchant accounts emerged as the most widely used payment method, closely followed by direct bank transfers via IMPS, NEFT, RTGS, and net banking apps. Digital wallets, prepaid vouchers, and gift cards played a smaller role, underscoring users’ preference for fast and familiar transaction routes when engaging with offshore platforms.
Reasons for ongoing offshore use centred on convenience and perceived advantages. Ease of access ranked as the most common driver, demonstrating that users still find these sites readily reachable. The absence of regulated domestic alternatives followed closely, as the ban eliminated legal play options. Peer influence remained significant, with many respondents reporting that friends and networks continue to use offshore platforms.
Better rewards, bonuses, promotional offers, and platform features further encouraged participation, supported by preferences for superior user experience and interfaces. Only a small share continued due to difficulty switching platforms.
Government disclosures this year portray offshore gambling as a large, persistent problem that survives repeated crackdowns. A March 2025 reply in the Lok Sabha revealed 1,410 blocking orders against illegal gambling sites between 2022 and 2025, alongside Directorate General of Goods and Services Tax Intelligence (DGGI) action blocking 357 offshore platforms and freezing hundreds of mule and merchant accounts linked to evasion of 28% GST.
In July, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) informed Parliament that it had blocked 1,524 gambling and betting websites and apps, but did not clarify how it addresses mirror sites that reappear under fresh domains. These platforms routinely cycle through domain extensions, for instance, shifting from “.com” to “.bet” or “.games,” and maintain ready-made backup lists.
A Supreme Court PIL further alleges that around 2,000 betting and gambling apps remain accessible, operating via offshore servers and mirror websites despite the nationwide ban on online money games.
Meanwhile, Dhruv Garg, a Partner at the Indian Governance and Policy Project (IGAP), claimed at a MediaNama event that the offshore market is valued at roughly $20 billion, with tax losses alone exceeding $4 billion. He warned that these cross-border operators may now dwarf the regulated domestic real-money gaming sector.
The CUTS survey, though preliminary, highlights how the PROGA’s blanket ban has reshaped, rather than reduced, real-money gaming in India. Instead of curbing participation, users have shifted rapidly to offshore platforms, which operate beyond domestic regulatory oversight and consumer-protection frameworks.
As a result, players now spend more money, play more frequently, and remain exposed to platforms where grievance redress, data protection, and responsible-gaming safeguards largely do not apply.
Enforcement, meanwhile, continues to struggle. Despite thousands of blocking orders and high-profile crackdowns, operators routinely resurface through mirror domains, alternate URLs, and private sharing channels, ensuring sustained accessibility. At the same time, users continue relying on mainstream payment methods such as UPI and bank transfers, enabling transactions to flow to unregulated entities even after domestic platforms have shut down.
Moreover, ongoing access, peer influence, and promotional incentives continue to fuel participation, while the absence of legal domestic alternatives leaves consumers with no regulated options.
Taken together, the findings raise pressing questions about whether prohibition alone can deliver meaningful consumer protection. Instead, the evidence points to a widening enforcement gap, growing policy complexity, and rising risks to both users and the public exchequer as offshore gambling expands unchecked.
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