New Delhi, April 14 -- The ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season has seen a flood of ads for online fantasy gaming apps and surrogate ads for pan masala, which operate in legal grey areas, sparking widespread complaints on social media.

This surge is part of an overall spike in IPL advertising, with ad volumes during the opening matches rising 12% year-on-year and the number of advertisers jumping 31%. Online fantasy gaming ads remain among the top e-gaming categories, while 'pan masala' ads continue to top the advertising landscape, fueling viewers' frustration.

Mint explains the rules governing these advertisements, and the legal loopholes that enable their unchecked proliferation during the IPL.

Fantasy gaming giants such ...