Online Betting and Fantasy Sports in India – Boom, Addiction, and Gaps in Oversight

The rise of betting apps and fantasy sports in India has coincided with a sharp increase in complaints about addiction, debt traps, and family crises. Major sporting events drive the market to hundreds of millions of users, while regulators openly acknowledge the difficulty of overseeing offshore platforms.

“Easy Money” That Turned Into a Debt Spiral

Pradeep Kumar, a 24-year-old graduate from Kanpur, has been unable to break free from online betting addiction for two years. Constant borrowing from multiple sources has become routine for him, and one loss on a cricket app cost him 125,000 rupees (approximately €1,350). According to his mother Ranjani, the family has taken him to counseling, but relapses occur again and again. “These apps promise easy money,” she told DW.

Such episodes are increasingly affecting young users across the country. Losses quickly translate into a debt burden for entire families, and Pradeep Kumar’s case is more the rule than the exception.

A Tragedy in Telangana That Numbers Cannot Explain

In the state of Telangana, where betting apps gained popularity rapidly, the consequences have become irreversible. In the city of Nizamabad, a family of three took their own lives, unable to repay a debt of 3 million rupees (€32,400) accumulated by their son through online gambling. The case exposed the scale of social pressure created by loans taken out for betting and the impossibility of managing them alone.

How Many People Play and Where the Money Comes From

The statistics on India’s online betting and fantasy sports market are striking:

• 140 million users regularly participate in online gambling and betting
• During major events such as the IPL cricket tournament, that figure rises to 370 million
• The fantasy sports segment counts more than 180 million users and over 300 platforms
• Cricket accounts for approximately 85% of revenue in fantasy sports, while football holds more than 6%
• Money flow into illegal sports betting is estimated at around $100 billion annually

Tournaments like IPL serve as a powerful catalyst. The ease of entry, the constant stream of matches, and the promise of quick winnings turn betting into an entry point for newcomers, who often do not even consider it gambling.

Beyond betting and the fantasy sports segment, live dealer casinos tailored to Indian audiences occupy a notable share of the market. According to several industry portals reviewed during the preparation of this article, the top live dealer casinos list has been joined by numerous new brands since the start of 2026, offering Hindi-language interfaces and payments via UPI and Paytm. The growth of this segment confirms a broader trend: Indian users are increasingly moving from traditional card games to their digital equivalents, placing additional pressure on regulators who are already struggling to keep pace with the influx of offshore platforms.

Virtual Teams and Real Money

Fantasy sports platforms Dream11, My11Circle, and MPL operate on a straightforward model: a user assembles a virtual team from real athletes and earns points based on their performances in actual matches. The format is presented as a competition of knowledge and strategy, yet financial incentives blur that distinction. According to audits, some services mimic fantasy sports platforms to circumvent restrictions, and for the average user it is extremely difficult to tell them apart based on outward appearances.

The “Dopamine Loop” and the Normalization of Gambling

Neuropsychiatrist Anjali Nagpal described gambling addiction as a “silent epidemic” that is becoming normalized. The mechanism develops in stages:

• Early small wins trigger a release of dopamine and a sense of success
• The pursuit of larger rewards draws players deeper, often without them noticing
• Even after losses, the memory of early wins sustains the cycle

Psychiatrist Achal Bhagat from New Delhi warned that compulsive use of betting apps can completely consume a person’s identity, destroying both finances and relationships. When betting begins to permeate everyday life, it is a signal to seek professional help.

The role of celebrities and influencers in this process is difficult to overstate. Public endorsements from beloved stars, according to Nagpal, reduce young people’s sense of risk and create an illusion of legitimacy. “Their thinking is: ‘How bad can it be?'” the expert noted.

Why Government Measures Are Falling Short

Against the backdrop of another IPL season, the Directorate General of GST Intelligence (DGGI) has intensified scrutiny of offshore online gaming companies. Around 700 entities are under observation on suspicion of money laundering, operating without licenses, and posing security risks. However, the scale of the problem outpaces regulatory capacity: many illegal apps are hosted on servers in Curaçao, Malta, or Cyprus, where gambling is legal or lightly regulated. The number of such services, according to an anonymous official, “overwhelms” oversight bodies.

The legal framework of the dispute rests on the distinction between a “game of skill” and a “game of chance.” Fantasy sports are interpreted as the former, betting as the latter. It is precisely this formula that allows certain platforms to disguise real betting.

When Video Games Become Casinos

Rushindra Sinha, co-founder of Global Esports, drew attention to the fact that esports — built on skill, training, and competition — is increasingly being used to promote money-based mechanics. Some gaming studios embed casino-like features directly into their products, targeting young audiences. Sinha emphasized the need for more precise platform labeling and protective measures, especially for teenagers who may not be aware of the real risks involved.