Maharashtra sounds alarm on illegal online betting
State officials haved called on the central government for tougher laws to combat digital betting and cybercrime.
India.- Maharashtra recorded 97 cases of illegal online betting and gambling between 2023 and 2025, sparking renewed calls from state authorities for a robust national regulatory framework. The figure was disclosed by chief minister and home minister Devendra Fadnavis in response to a legislative inquiry.
Mumbai City topped the list with 38 cases, while Chandrapur and Nagpur Rural reported 11 each. Yavatmal followed with nine cases, and several other districts, including Thane City, Palghar, and Pimpri-Chinchwad, also logged multiple incidents. Two recent raids, one in Ghugghus (Chandrapur) involving the platform kingexch.com, and another in Dahegaon-Ragari (Nagpur), revealed the use of mobile phones and televisions to facilitate betting.
Fadnavis said that while the Maharashtra Cyber Cell has been conducting awareness campaigns and training law enforcement officers in cybercrime investigation, the lack of a specific national law targeting online gambling remains a critical gap. Currently, only advisory guidelines exist under the IT Rules of 2021, which the state believes are insufficient.
Minister of State for Home Affairs, Yogesh Kadam, added that Maharashtra is working on a uniform state policy with stricter laws to address the intersection of online gaming, financial fraud, and cybercrime. He called the situation a “sweeping transformation” in how India must govern online gaming for stakes, reinforcing the state’s plea for central legislation to address the issue comprehensively.
