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Denied tickets, betting sites still vie for seats in poll arena

Economic Times · 7m

Several offshore apps and websites operating illicitly in India are allowing users to bet on the outcome of the country's largest electoral process, the Lok Sabha election. These betting platforms offer wagers on results, margins of victory, and party performance, with bets ranging from as low as Rs 100 up to Rs 10 lakh. The money is transferred through UPI payments or bank transfers to mule accounts and crypto wallets, often moving out of the country without paying any taxes. While offline betting on elections is common, online gambling is considered illegal under Indian laws. The popularity of these offshore platforms has been fueled by extensive advertising, and the government is taking measures to address the issue. In addition, some of these betting websites use government and educational domain names to host and redirect to their platforms, often introducing malware and malicious content.