Offshore betting promotions are still reaching Indian users even after the country moved against online money games and related advertising. The Economic Times reported on May 30, 2026 that the Advertising Standards Council of India found offshore betting to be the largest ad-violation concern in its latest annual complaints report.
The finding matters for rummy, fantasy cricket and cricket-gaming searches because many illegal operators do not rely only on app stores. They use social ads, influencer-style posts, mirror domains and affiliate pages that look like ordinary sports or card-game promotions until a user is pushed toward deposits.
What ASCI reported
According to the report, ASCI identified and escalated 7,927 offshore betting advertisements during 2025. ET reported that 6,933 of those ads were monitored between April and December and included in FY26 reporting.
The trend did not fade after the 2025 law was passed. ET said offshore betting ads averaged 594 per month in the eight months before PROGA was passed in August 2025, then rose to 795 per month in the next four months. ASCI’s own annual report also says digital platforms made up almost all violations reviewed during the year.
Why this matters for players
For users, the danger is not only a misleading ad. A betting promotion can lead to a cloned domain, a private Telegram group, a QR payment flow, or a fake celebrity endorsement. That is why an ad that says “fantasy cricket”, “rummy”, “tips” or “prediction” still needs a basic product check before any registration or transfer.
- Sponsored social posts are not proof that a gaming brand is legal or official.
- Influencer clips can hide affiliate links, betting IDs and offshore account flows.
- Mirror domains can look current even when enforcement has already hit the main site.
- Any deposit or wallet prompt should be checked against the brand’s official app and current India status.
How brands and users may respond
Legitimate gaming brands have an incentive to make their current product status clearer: free-play, sports content, practice games, esports, or non-money engagement. Users are searching with old keywords, but current pages need to explain what is still available and what has changed after the 2025 law and 2026 rules.
For searchers, the practical rule is to separate an official product page from an ad-led landing page. If the link depends on a private agent, changing domains, a bonus pitch, or a direct APK outside a recognised source, it should be treated as higher risk.
Related reading on rummy-game.com
For the rulebook behind this shift, read our guide to India’s online gaming rules from May 1, 2026 and the update on the Karnataka betting URL crackdown.
If your search is about app options rather than advertising enforcement, compare the Dream11 app-store shift, the My11Circle free fantasy update, and the best rummy apps in India page.
Sources used for this update: The Economic Times report on ASCI’s offshore betting ad findings, the official ASCI Annual Complaints Report 2025-26, and the official I4C cybercrime reporting page.
