India Govt Blocks 138 Betting Apps with Chinese Links

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has started blocking around 138 betting apps with China links for their alleged involvement in money laundering, and posing threat to India’s financial security.

The crackdown on these platforms began after the government received an alert from a nodal officer of the Ministry of Home Affairs. MeitY issued blocking orders against these apps on an “urgent and emergency” basis.

“These 138 betting or gambling apps were engaging in money laundering, and were a threat to the financial security of our nation. These apps were being operated from offshore entities, mainly Chinese,” said a person familiar with the matter.

The government is exercising its power under Section 69 of the Information Technology (IT) Act, 2000, which allows its agencies to intercept, monitor and decrypt any digital information in special circumstances.

“The latest action is part of our overall crackdown on online betting activities. This, along with the online gaming rules, which would be notified shortly, would ensure no betting app operates on the internet, as part of our goal of a safe and trusted internet,” said a top government official.