India blocks 138 offshore gambling apps
Blocking orders have been passed by the Ministry of Home Affairs under Section 69(A) of the Information Technology Act, 2000.
India.- The Indian Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) has ordered the blocking of 138 offshore betting and gambling sites and apps, as well as over 90 unauthorised apps offering loans. The orders come under Section 69(A) of the Information Technology Act 2000 on the instructions of the Ministry of Home Affairs.
It’s the latest effort to curb offshore betting and gambling in India and the first time the government has targeted predatory loan apps. It believes the apps have links to China.
Last year, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting asked streaming platforms to stop advertisements for offshore betting. Authorities also called on Google to stop showing ads for offshore gambling companies in search results and on YouTube.
To date, apart from the Supreme Court’s precedent on skill-based gambling, there is no federal statute to govern India’s gambling industry, with each state taking its own stance on the issue. A panel set up by prime minister Narendra Modi has concluded that India should establish a regulatory body to classify which online games as based on skill or chance and implement rules for blocking prohibited formats.
