The Act prohibits advertising or promoting online money games across all media, and extends to any other promotional activity. Published analysis by Indian counsel identifies influencers, advertisers, referral codes and affiliate links as potentially within scope. A publisher that never operates a platform can still be exposed through what it promotes.
Why this provision deserves separate attention
Most coverage of the Act focused on operators. The advertising prohibition is a distinct offence, and it reaches a much wider group: anyone whose output promotes an online money game.
Editorial explainer, not legal advice. The law here is contested and moving, constitutional challenges are pending before the Supreme Court. For decisions about your own position, consult a qualified Indian lawyer.
Scope
The prohibition applies across "all media (including radio, television, offline campaigns, or the internet)" and extends to "any other promotional activity". Analysis published by Indian law firms reads that as potentially affecting influencers, advertisers, referral codes and affiliate links.
Read alongside the separate prohibition on "aiding, abetting, inducing or otherwise indulging or engaging in" the offering of a money game, the surface area for a content business is meaningful.
What this means for affiliate publishing
The affiliate model in this sector, review a platform, link to it, earn on referred deposits, is squarely the activity the advertising limb describes. That is not a comment on any particular publisher's liability, which depends on facts, structure and audience. It is a statement about where the risk sits.
If you run such a site for an Indian audience, this is a question for a lawyer with gaming and advertising experience, and it is worth resolving before commissioning more commercial content.
What remains publishable
Explaining the law is not promoting a money game. Journalism, legal explainers, harm-reduction material, addiction support and sports analysis do not promote staking. The distinction is between describing an activity and encouraging or facilitating participation in it.
That is the line this site now works to: no operator links, no referral codes, no "best sites" rankings, no promotional offers.
Practical questions worth asking counsel
- Do existing affiliate links or referral codes need removing, including in archived posts?
- Does historical content require review, given material remains accessible?
- How does audience geography affect exposure where content is served into India?
- What disclosure and disclaimer practice is appropriate for legal explainers?
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Does this apply to a site hosted outside India?
The Act contemplates offshore reach for operators and blocking powers are available. Where content is served into India, take advice rather than assuming hosting location resolves it.
Is writing about betting illegal?
The prohibition targets advertising and promotion. Explaining the law, reporting, and harm-reduction content are different activities from promoting participation.
What about old posts with affiliate links?
Archived material generally remains accessible and therefore in scope for review. That is one of the first questions to put to counsel.
Sources
Every legal claim on this page traces to the material below. Primary sources are the statute and government notifications themselves.
- The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025 (Act No. 32 of 2025) — full text(opens in a new tab) — Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of IndiaPrimary source
- Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025 — official announcement(opens in a new tab) — Press Information Bureau, Government of IndiaPrimary source
- Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Rules, 2026(opens in a new tab) — Press Information Bureau, Government of IndiaPrimary source
- The Online Gaming Act, 2025 — redrawing India's online gaming landscape(opens in a new tab) — Trilegal
