India’s Gujarat cracks down on influencers promoting online gambling
Days after two social media influencers in India’s western state Gujarat were charged for allegedly promoting online gaming via social media platforms, a wider crackdown has led to more arrests. The Cybercrime branch of the Gujarat police has now arrested seven more individuals accused of encouraging people to gamble through Instagram. These arrests follow those of influencers Deep Goswami (23) and Dharmik Vagahani (20), who were taken into custody on last Sunday.
Those newly arrested include Nilesh Chavda, Bhavesh Rathod, Laxman Janjvadiya, Sagar Chhaya, Vanrajsinh Zala, Ilesh Derwadiya, and Vijay Majethiya. Police said they have been booked under relevant sections of the Gujarat Gambling Act.
According to the investigation, these influencers collectively had a follower base of over 2.8 million. They allegedly promoted illegal gambling platforms and earned commissions that ranged from a few thousand Indian Rupees to over Rs 1 million (approximately US$12,000).
“In order to trace the flow of money, we sought detailed information from banks regarding the accounts from which funds were credited to the influencers’ accounts and the accounts used by individuals participating in online gambling to transfer money. Once we receive this data, we will initiate proceedings to freeze the amounts earned by the influencers and other involved individuals,” said DCP (Crime) Dr Parthrajsinh Gohil.
Influencers paid for promotional reels
Each promotional reel earned them about Rs 7,000 (around US$84), and additional commission was based on how many users created gambling IDs via their Instagram links and then played betting games.
Authorities stated that some influencers made over Rs 700,000 (roughly US$8,400) in just the past six months. One such website, www.rajagames.world, which had more than 95,000 followers, reportedly generated Rs 600,000 (around US$7,200) in commission for those promoting it. Deep Goswami, linked to www.rajagames.in, had 322,000 followers and reportedly earned Rs 700,000 (about US$8,400) through such promotions.
Vijay Majethiya, 32, had 516,000 followers and allegedly earned Rs 135,000 (around US$1,620) by promoting sports and casino games. Nilesh Chavda, 29, had one of the highest followings at 895,000, with estimated earnings of Rs 1.1 million (about US$13,200). Bhavesh Rathod, 25, promoted sky365.com, had 860,000 followers, and reportedly earned about Rs 30,000 (around US$360) per month.
Ilesh Derwadiya, 21, used his Instagram account to promote www.1win.com, which featured games such as sports betting, casino, aviator, and the Indian card game ‘Andar Bahar’. He had 120,000 followers.
How the crackdown began
Police said the city’s social media monitoring cell received intelligence that several influencers were posting links to gambling platforms through their accounts. During questioning, Goswami and Vagahani admitted to creating promotional content for gambling platforms, each receiving about Rs 7,000 (US$ 84) per video and commissions on user registrations via their links. Goswami had 320,000 followers, while Vagahani had 954,000.
The investigation is ongoing, and police have said they will act to freeze illegally earned funds once banking data is received.
Gambling in India
India is considering introducing a central law to regulate online gaming, gambling, betting, and lotteries. Currently, online gaming is regulated by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) under the Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code Rules, 2021, framed under the Information Technology Act, 2000. These rules impose obligations on intermediaries, including online gaming platforms. If they fail to observe due diligence, they lose their exemption from liability for third-party content.
The idea of a new central law is being considered to ensure that all, including celebrities, who endorse such online activities are to be brought under a legal framework. Since betting and lotteries are primarily luck-based and require no skill, the Indian government is considering stricter regulations.
