The finance ministry on Saturday said GST intelligence officers have blocked 357 websites operated by illegal offshore online gaming firms and frozen approximately 2,400 bank accounts linked to these entities.
With the Indian Premier League (IPL) season starting from Saturday, tax authorities are intensifying enforcement efforts to curb illicit gaming activities.
The ministry has also issued a public advisory, warning against engaging with offshore gaming platforms, while urging the public to engage only with regulated e-gaming platforms, warning that non-compliance by foreign entities distorts fair competition, harms local businesses, and skews the market.
“It has been observed that many Bollywood celebrities and cricketers, along with WhatsApp, and Instagram influencers, are found endorsing these platforms, and, therefore, the public is advised to remain cautious and not engage with offshore online money gaming platforms as it may jeopardise their personal finances and indirectly support activities that undermine financial integrity and national security,” the finance ministry saidin a statement.
Currently, around 700 offshore online money gaming/betting/gambling companies are under investigation by the Directorate General of Goods and Services Tax Intelligence (DGGI) for tax evasion. These companies have been found evading GST by failing to register, concealing taxable transactions, and bypassing tax obligations.
Investigations further revealed that these offshore firms processed transactions through ‘mule’ bank accounts—fraudulent accounts used to disguise financial flows. In response, the DGGI has blocked 166 such accounts.
“So far, 357 websites and URLs belonging to illegal offshore online gaming entities have been blocked by the DGGI in coordination with the ministry of electronics and information technology (MeitY),” the ministry said.
In two separate cases, authorities have also frozen nearly ₹126 crore across approximately 2,400 bank accounts.
Additionally, investigations uncovered that some Indian nationals were operating offshore online gaming platforms such as Satguru Online Money Gaming Platform, Mahakaal Online Money Gaming Platform and Abhi247 Online Money Gaming Platform. These individuals facilitated online betting for Indian users while using mule accounts to collect payments. Three individuals have been arrested so far, with further investigations underway.
