Offshore gambling firms have intensified their advertising and marketing strategies for India. Fun88, based in the tax haven of the British Virgin Islands, has launched its promotional and advertising strategy in the Indian market for the ongoing T20 Women’s World Cup. The company is now offering Rs 75 lakhs in free bets, leaving Real Money Gaming (RMG) players red faced.
Additionally, the company is partnering with multiple influencer agencies to run their campaigns during the festive season and the ongoing T20 World Cup. A leading social media agency catering to the gaming sector said, “The company is offering five times more than what a Real Money Gaming platform like Dream11 or WinZo offers. They want social media influencers to post reels, still images, and video integrations as a combined package, offering between Rs3 lakh to Rs 5 lakh for influencers with 100k-200k followers on Instagram.”
Storyboard18 reported on September 25 that B4U Music is airing advertisements for the betting and gambling firm Parimatch. With the festival season approaching, offshore gambling firms will aggressively invest in advertising in India to attract users to their platforms.
Surprisingly, these illegal platforms allow customers to place bets using various payment methods such as UPI, Google Pay, cryptocurrency, Visa, Mastercard, etc. T20 World Cup matches are currently being played in UAE from October 3 to 20. India and Australia are the top favourites of the tournament.
An RMG operator, speaking anonymously, stated, “Advertisements on digital platforms have increased drastically. Influencers are promoting these companies on social media without considering the harmful effects of betting and gambling. The government needs to enhance vigilance and crack down on such companies instead of allowing them to operate illegally in India.”
The RMG operator added, “In India, numerous users are placing bets on the T20 Women’s World Cup, and we observed this trend during Sunday’s match between India and Pakistan. Important fixtures automatically increase the number of players participating in bets. These companies maintain their marketing budgets year-round, and the industry should unite to tackle this issue head-on.”
Roland Landers, CEO of the All India Gaming Federation, said, “Illegal gambling apps continue to target Indian users by exploiting the popularity of events like the T20 Women’s World Cup. These promotions are harmful and illegal because they often disguise themselves as legitimate, leaving users without protection or recourse in cases of fraud.”
Landers further stated, “Additionally, such platforms evade taxes, causing significant losses to the exchequer. Greater awareness is needed to distinguish between legal Indian gaming companies and unlawful offshore operators. While efforts to combat these platforms have improved, all stakeholders must remain vigilant to protect users and the national economy.”