New Delhi, Nov. 12 -- A flurry of illegal betting ads is once again in regulators' crosshairs. The Advertising Standards Council of India, in its latest half-yearly report (April-September 2025), found that most of the complaints it got related to offshore and illegal betting ads. Why are these ads a problem, who's involved, and are they on the right side of India's advertising laws? Mint explains.

Offshore betting apps are online gambling platforms based in tax havens such as Jamaica, Curacao and Gibraltar. Indians access them via websites, apps and Telegram channels to bet on sports, lotteries, or real money casino games.

Real money gaming is banned in India under its Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025, but the law do...