Cricket season sees major jump in ads of offshore gaming platforms
“The current regulatory uncertainties surrounding the online gaming industry, including issues related to GST, provide offshore operators with opportunities to advertise extensively. They leverage regional media and social media platforms and have diversified into surrogate advertising to reach a broader audience.”
In 2024, these platforms spent nearly “Rs 70 crore on IPL advertisements” apart from OOH advertising.
Offshore betting platforms are increasing their advertising expenditure this year, focusing on the upcoming IPL season. They are leveraging digital platforms for direct advertising where enforcement is lax while using surrogate promotions in areas under stricter scrutiny, according to a report by Bestmediainfo.com.
Not just IPL; they have already increased focus on cricket properties with the ongoing Champions Trophy. For example, platforms like 1XBET are already advertising betting on the Champions Trophy on the free streaming platform Pikashow.
A source close to the matter informed BestMediaInfo.com that offshore betting platforms will increase their digital and out-of-home (OOH) advertising spends by 10 per cent this year.
Roland Landers, CEO of All India Gaming Federation, said, “Offshore betting platforms are actively advertising in connection with major tournaments like the IPL. Reports indicate that offshore betting platforms are significantly increasing their advertising investments in India.
The country’s growing internet penetration and smartphone user base make it an attractive market. The current regulatory uncertainties surrounding the online gaming industry, including issues related to GST, provide these offshore operators with opportunities to advertise extensively. They leverage regional media and social media platforms and have diversified into surrogate advertising to reach a broader audience.”
Not just digital advertising, “Offshore betting platforms spent close to Rs 50-80 crore in 2024 on OOH advertising, and 65 per cent of those spends were for IPL-related betting,” an OOH advertising leader told BestMediaInfo.com on the condition of anonymity.
The target audience for these platforms is people residing in metro cities, typically those aged 18 to 35 years.
A media planner shared with BestMediaInfo.com that the average ticket size of these advertisements ranges from Rs 5-10 crore at prominent locations in metro cities.
As betting apps increasingly turn to out-of-home (OOH) advertising, ethical OOH agencies are pushing back by refusing to accept their mandates.
An OOH agency professional shared, “Just a few days ago, we received a Rs 12 crore pitch from a betting app for OOH advertising, but we declined to work with them.”
BestMediaInfo.com also learnt that offshore betting apps pay in cash for these advertisements and that law enforcement authorities even raided vendors who provided ad spaces to offshore gambling platforms.
Another source mentioned that in 2024, these platforms spent nearly “Rs 70 crore on IPL advertisements” apart from OOH advertising.
Offshore betting platforms typically utilise influencer promotions, advertising on sports-related platforms, and surrogate advertising to attract customers.
A media planner said, “A typical digital campaign with three to four social media posts ranges from Rs 2 to 10 lakh. A mid-tier campaign with higher visibility and performance marketing involved ranges from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 50 lakh, while a large-scale campaign involving celebrities starts at Rs 50 lakh and goes to multiple crores.”
The media planner also highlighted that the possibility of television ads by the subsidiaries of offshore gambling platforms cannot be ruled out if they get the ad space.
Highlighting the massive influencer marketing spends of illegal betting apps and offshore gambling companies, Vaibhav Gupta, Co-Founder & Chief Product Officer at Klug Tech, revealed that payouts from platforms like Skyexchange can go as high as Rs 2 crore per week.
Previously, offshore betting platforms leveraged surrogate means that involved creating a legal offshore subsidiary, such as a news platform, and then becoming principal sponsors of teams in the Indian Super League (ISL) and Pro Kabaddi League.
Most recently, DafaNews is hosting the tennis tournament Bengaluru Open 2025 and has onboarded 22 sponsors and 12 partners, including names like Ultratech Cement and Greaves Mobility.
DafaNews is associated with Dafabet, which is an online betting platform established in 2004 in Makati, Philippines, operating under the privately owned company AsianBGE. DafaNews serves as a sports news portal, providing up-to-date matches, scores, schedules, and stories from various prestigious leagues and events. Through DafaNews, Dafabet aims to engage sports enthusiasts and direct them towards Dafabet’s betting services.
Landers believes that these platforms are looking forward to replicating the success of their surrogate advertising model in IPL as well.
He feels that it is plausible that offshore betting platforms will attempt to engage in sponsorship roles, possibly through in-stadium advertising. However, increased regulatory scrutiny and enforcement actions may influence their strategies and the extent of their involvement.
Resounding Landers’ thoughts, a source told BestMediaInfo.com on the condition of anonymity that “BCCI is not keen on letting gambling platforms associate directly with IPL teams or allowing their surrogate entities to do on-ground advertising in the stadiums.”
He further said, “Nevertheless, this is still a grey area and not explicitly illegal, as other leagues are allowing such sponsorships. If BCCI does not allow even the subsidiaries of these platforms to advertise, then they may be forced to advertise in different locations or stick to direct influencer promotions and digital advertisements.”
Even ASCI has been consistently monitoring advertisements from offshore betting platforms, particularly around major sporting events.
Manisha Kapoor, CEO & Secretary General of the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI), shared that compared to the last FY ’23-24 (1311 ads reported), ASCI has reported 2147 ads from Apr ‘24 to Jan ’25.
“A recently signed MoU with the gaming federations further strengthens our efforts to intensify scrutiny of such ads. We will continue to monitor violations, including any on sporting events. Betting is illegal in most parts of India, and the promotion of such activities through advertising. Offshore betting platforms tend to exploit jurisdictional loopholes by operating from outside India, making direct enforcement more complex. ASCI works with government bodies and regulators to curb the promotion of such activities and safeguard consumer interests,” Kapoor further added.
The question that now arises is that despite being flagged off by ASCI and action from government bodies, how are these platforms still able to advertise in India? What is the loophole they are exploiting?
Presenting a response to the query, Landers said, “Despite advisories from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) and efforts by regulatory bodies, offshore betting platforms continue to advertise in India by exploiting legal ambiguities and operating from jurisdictions beyond India’s legal reach. Their advertising strategies are diverse and adaptive, including the use of surrogate advertising, channels such as Telegram and WhatsApp groups, third-party websites, and even out-of-home advertising like billboards and cab promotions to reach their target audience. The sheer volume and the evolving nature of these advertisements make it a gargantuan task for authorities to monitor and curb their proliferation effectively.”
