Betting sites blocked in India: what the official count says

India had issued blocking directions for 8,376 online betting, gambling and gaming website URLs by 28 Mar 2026, the Ministry of Electronics and IT told the Lok Sabha on 1 Apr 2026. More than 4,800 of them came after the Online Gaming Act, 2025. The reply didn't name the sites. So there's no official public list to check a link against.

How many betting sites has India blocked?

The latest official figure this page found is in Lok Sabha unstarred question 6037, answered on 1 Apr 2026 by Minister of State Jitin Prasada. It says a total of 8,376 website URLs related to online betting, gambling and gaming, including offshore platforms, had been issued by 28 Mar 2026. It adds that more than 4,800 of them were blocked after the Online Gaming Act, 2025 was enacted. The count is of URLs. One operator can sit behind many URLs, so it isn't a count of companies.

A year earlier the number was much smaller. A PIB release posted on 19 Mar 2025 said MeitY had issued 1,298 blocking directions for betting, gambling and gaming websites, including mobile apps, between 2022 and 2024. The jump since then lines up with the Act. The Act explainer covers what the law bans and when it took effect.

Is there an official list of banned betting apps?

Not a public one. Part (b) of the Lok Sabha question asked for the list of offshore gaming platforms identified and blocked. The published answer gives the totals and the laws, and doesn't attach names. Rule 16 of the 2009 blocking rules, which the PIB release of 19 Mar 2025 refers to, says strict confidentiality must be kept about requests and the action taken on them. So a 'full list of banned apps' on a blog or a Telegram channel isn't from the government. Treat it as somebody's guess.

That matters for you in a simple way. A site that isn't on someone's list isn't 'approved'. Since 1 May 2026, the Act's ban covers online money games in general, not only the sites that happen to be blocked. MatkaFlash doesn't rate betting sites or say which ones still open.

Which laws allow the blocking?

The PIB release of 19 Mar 2025 says the IT Act allows blocking orders, following the process in the Information Technology (Procedure and Safeguards for Blocking for Access of Information by Public) Rules, 2009. The Lok Sabha reply of 1 Apr 2026 adds three more layers. The Online Gaming Act, 2025 bans online money gaming and restricts related payments and adverts. The Directorate General of GST Intelligence can block unregistered online money gaming platforms under the IGST Act. And the reply says Section 112(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita punishes unauthorised betting and gambling with at least 1 year and up to 7 years in prison, plus a fine.

The reply also says police and public order are state subjects. States act on illegal betting through their own police, while the Centre issues advisories and funds. That's why raids and arrests are reported by state police, while blocking is done by central ministries. The legal guide explains how the older gambling laws fit in.

Were satta matka sites included?

Yes, according to The Hindu. Its report of 20 Mar 2026 said about 300 more websites and apps had been blocked, bringing the total to nearly 8,400, citing government sources. It listed sports betting portals, casino platforms, betting exchanges, 'satta/matka' gambling networks and real-money card and casino apps among them. The report didn't name individual sites, and this page doesn't either.

Why do blocked sites come back under new names?

A block applies to the URL in the order. An operator can register a new domain with a small change, then push it out by SMS, Telegram or WhatsApp. People call these mirror links. A new link is the same business, not a new licence. If a message says 'old site blocked, use this one', it's telling you the first site was blocked and the sender is still taking money. Don't share a UPI PIN or OTP, and don't install an app from a link. The fake sites guide and the betting app guide show the warning signs.

MatkaFlash only publishes declared results and records. It doesn't take deposits, sell numbers or send links to play. If something claiming to be MatkaFlash asks for money, it isn't us.

How do you report a betting site or app?

The Lok Sabha reply points people to the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal at cybercrime.gov.in and the 1930 helpline for cyber financial fraud. If you lost money, report it there and keep screenshots, the URL and payment references. The complaint guide walks through what to save.

1. Don't click a 'new link' sent after a site stopped opening.
2. Screenshot the message, the URL and any payment page.
3. Report money lost at cybercrime.gov.in or on 1930.
4. Tell your bank through the number on its own website or app.