Betting ads mushroom in India's regulatory grey zone

Banned betting sites are piggybacking on popular platforms again, as India's taxmen and regulators play whack-a-mole with shady operators from distant shores.

- Sakshi Sadashiv

Betting ads have popped up on grocery app Zepto and on taxis operated by an Uber fleet provider, while items branded lxBat, a mirror name for betting app 1xBet, sell on Amazon. Ads have also appeared on ATMs, billboards, metro stations as well as in print.

India has banned and blocked hundreds of offshore gambling platforms, but many of them still operate through so-called mirror sites—replicas of the original with a near-identical URL, and hosted on a different server. Meanwhile, many celebrities endorse and keep the betting platforms in public view, while tax authorities stare at lost revenue.

Everest Fleet, Uber's biggest cab provider, said it became aware of the ads recently and takes the matter seriously. "Immediate steps are being taken to address the situation and ensure the removal of these ads. While we collaborate with partners for campaign management, we remain committed to reviewing future campaigns more closely. We are committed to maintaining the trust of our customers and partners and will continue to improve our processes to prevent such occurrences in the future," a spokesperson said.

Everest is Uber's biggest cab provider, operating thousands of vehicles. In September, Uber invested $30 million in the company. An Uber spokesperson did not respond to queries.