Illegal sports betting sites like Parimatch, Betway, 1xBet, Betfair, Crickex, Fairplay, and Lotus365 have stepped up their operations in India. This is amidst the ongoing IPL or Indian Premier League. They offer discounts, as well as treasure hunts for match tickets to tempt cricket fans.
EGF or the E-Gaming Federation of India represents legitimate e-sports and fantasy gaming companies like Games24x7 and Head Digital. It has approached the government, seeking an outright ban on these unscrupulous fly-by-night operators that have been flagrantly violating laws.
In a letter, EGF said to information and broadcasting ministry, electronics and information technology ministry, and other government agencies that these illegal sports betting sites have packaged their offers in ways that provide a false sense of authenticity to unsuspecting users. They said this last week.
Anuraag Saxena, the EGF chief told ET that operations of these sites also pose wider challenges like tax and data pilferage, money laundering, and national security risks.
The Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code, better known as the Information Technology Rules of 2021, prohibit online betting and gambling in India.
Nevertheless, an analysis by ET has found that most sports betting platforms have continued with immunity under different replications of their original names and web addresses.
They have also re-stated offering special discounts on deposits made by users, packaged treasure hunts that offer match tickets and other freebies and goodies to lure users to their sites and platforms.
mFilterIt, a digital fraud detection agency said that use of these platforms exposes users to easy financial fraud, misuse of their personal data, and transaction laundering.
mFilterIt scans over 1,500 websites daily to check for unauthorized use of Indian payment instruments such as UPI (Unified Payment Interface), mobile pay wallets, and credit and debit cards.
