Roland Landers, CEO of the All India Gaming Federation, has urged the government of India to regulate offshore betting and gambling platforms. He highlighted the need for models like the Self-Regulatory Organisation (SRO) to be swiftly implemented to address the issue of illegal offshore betting and gambling platforms in India.
Landers stated that offshore betting and gambling platforms impact India a lot. These platforms operate without any official presence in the country, leading to estimated annual revenue losses of USD 2.5 billion for the country’s economy.
In a recent interview with The Print, Landers highlighted that these offshore platforms often mix legal gaming with illegal betting and gambling, leading to confusion among users. These illegal practices not only harm users but also undermine the credibility of other Indian betting platforms.
Landers also added that these offshore platforms take advantage of major events such as the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) to promote their platform, offering incentives like no GST or TDS charges. He emphasized the importance of Implementing measures to control all the activities of these illegal offshore platforms.
Landers supported the establishment of a Self-Regulatory Organisation (SRO) by the government to distinguish between legitimate and illegitimate gaming platforms. Additionally, the government has proposed forming an SRO, but Landers noted delays in the Process.
He mentioned that although several industry players have applied to set up an SRO, the All India Gaming Federation (AIGF) has yet to receive any updates on these applications. Landers stressed the need for collaborative efforts between the government and industry stakeholders to address the threat caused by these offshore illegal betting and gambling platforms in India.
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