India: Offshore betting dominates ASCI’s FY26 advertising violations despite real-money gaming ban

Offshore betting emerged as the largest category of advertising violations reviewed by the Advertising Standards Council of India in FY26, accounting for 72.14% of ads found in breach of advertising norms in ASCI’s latest annual complaints report.

The findings come after India introduced the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act in August 2025, prohibiting online real-money games and their promotion. The law bars advertisements for online money games, including informational and disclaimer-based advertising.

Despite the new framework, offshore betting promotions increased after the law came into force. ASCI recorded an average of 594 offshore betting advertisements per month in the eight months before PROGA was passed. In the four months after its implementation, the monthly average rose to 795 advertisements.

ASCI identified and escalated 7,927 offshore betting advertisements during 2025. This included 6,933 advertisements monitored between April and December.

Digital media accounted for most violations reviewed during the year. ASCI said 97.3 percent of advertising violations scrutinized in FY26 originated online. According to the Economic Times, sponsored advertisements on social media platforms made up 82 percent of digital violations.

“The risks to consumer trust and safety are becoming more complex and widespread," ASCI chairman Sudhanshu Vats said.

Influencer advertising remained a major concern. ASCI reviewed 1,609 influencer advertisements during the year and found that almost 97 percent required modification for violating advertising guidelines. More than half of those violations were connected to restricted categories, including illegal betting promotions.

Overall, ASCI reviewed 11,581 cases between April 2025 and March 2026, up 21 percent from the previous year. The number of advertisements scrutinized for potential violations increased 37% to 9,841, with around 93% of cases coming through proactive monitoring systems.

While violations were also found in real estate, personal care, food and beverages, drugs involving DMR violations, electronics and consumer durables, clinics and hospitals, and traditional education, offshore betting remained the single biggest category of concern for the advertising watchdog.