From 2022 to 2024, the IT ministry issued 692 blocking directions related to online betting, online gambling and online gaming websites and apps, minister of state for electronics and IT Jitin Prasada informed the Lok Sabha in a written response on Wednesday.
To be sure, this does not specify how many actual URLs and/or apps were blocked as one order may list multiple apps or URLs that may need to be blocked. Blocking directions can be issued under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act for six reasons related to national security and public order.
In November 2023, the IT Ministry had issued blocking orders against 22 illegal betting apps and websites including Mahadev Book Online, which faces money laundering probe in Chhattisgarh. In February, MeitY had blocked 138 online betting apps and websites.
On November 28, the Competition Commission of India, on receiving a complaint from real money gaming company Winzo, had directed the director general to investigate Google for violating its dominant position by not allowing any real money games (except daily fantasy sports and rummy) to be listed in its Play Store or be advertised through Google Ads in India. To be sure, there is significant confusion over what kind of real money games are legal in India as there is no law at the Centre as “betting and gambling” is a state, not a union, subject.
In April 2023, the IT ministry had amended the IT Rules 2021 to allow “permissible online real money games” but the amendments have not been brought into effect as the ministry has not approved any self-regulatory body required to assess and “permit” such games. The amendments do not define games of chance and games of skill, a distinction necessary to determine whether a game is considered legal or illegal in a state.
For instance, when MeitY blocked the first tranche of Chinese origin apps in June 2020, it had blocked 59 apps through a single order. While separate orders were sent to Google (for Play Store) and Apple (for App Store), it is not clear if those orders count as two blocking directions or one direction.
In December 2023, the finance ministry had informed the Lok Sabha that until October 31, 2023, MeitY had blocked a total of 581 apps under Section 69A of which 174 were betting and gambling related apps, and 87 were loan lending apps and other apps included PUBG, GArena Free Fire, etc. The ministry had not specified when these 581 apps started getting blocked.