The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) will report Roobet, an illegal gambling and betting platform endorsed and partnered with by American rapper Snoop Dogg, to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Storyboard18 previously reported that Roobet falsely misused the brand names of the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI)-led Unified Payments Interface (UPI), not only claiming them as partners but also using them for illicit transactions.
Storyboard18 highlighted the misuse of the UPI brand name by illegal gambling and betting companies to lure Indian users onto their platforms.
Manisha Kapoor, CEO & Secretary General of ASCI, responded to Storyboard18, stating, “We will be reporting the matter to MIB. We have a three-member dedicated team that tracks and monitors advertisements for illegal betting and gambling companies.”
Kapoor said, “We report advertisements promoting illegal offshore betting platforms to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB).”
Additionally, ASCI’s monitoring cell will use tracking software to identify such violations across various media platforms, including Facebook and Instagram Sponsored Ads via Meta Library Search, Facebook and Instagram pages, website screenings, OTT platforms, and e-commerce platforms.
Roobet, a Cyprus-based illegal betting and gambling company endorsed by American rapper Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr., better known as Snoop Dogg, falsely claims UPI as one of its partners. Similarly, Raja Bets, a Curacao-based betting firm, continues to misuse the NPCI-led UPI brand name to attract Indian users.
In March 2023, Snoop Dogg partnered with Roobet and its parent company, Raw Entertainment, and was appointed Chief Ganjaroo Officer at Roobet.
UPI brand name abused by offshore betting platforms to lure Indian users
Akshat Khetan, Founder of AU Corporate Advisory and Legal Services, said, “Using UPI and NPCI brand names to promote betting and gambling platforms is illegal because it misleads users into believing these platforms are officially recognized or endorsed by India’s financial regulators. Under the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007, and the Information Technology Act, 2000, such misrepresentation qualifies as fraudulent and deceptive.”
Recently, ASCI signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Federation of Indian Fantasy Sports (FIFS), the All India Gaming Federation (AIGF), and the E-Gaming Federation (EGF). Since the MoU took effect in January 2025, ASCI has flagged 413 offshore betting ads to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
Indian state laws prohibit gambling and offshore betting activities, making advertisements for these activities illegal in these states. However, online real-money games (RMG) that rely primarily on skill are permitted by most state laws, and their advertising is therefore allowed. Many offshore betting and gambling operators attempt to portray themselves as legally permitted gaming companies, highlighting the need to identify and escalate such advertisements to regulators.
Storyboard18 reached out to NPCI for a comment regarding brand violations and the illegal use of UPI for transactions. However, the spokesperson was unavailable for comment.
Think Change Forum (TCF), an independent think tank, had released a report titled “State of the Betting and Gambling Industry in India.” According to the report, the offshore sports betting market receives an estimated $100 billion annually in deposits from India and has been growing at 20 percent per year in the last three years post-pandemic.
The report further observes that under the new GST regime, despite best enforcement efforts, the illegal offshore betting industry will continue to grow at 20% at the least, leading to a tax loss figure of Rs 6,72,205 crore by 2026.