Offshore Betting Brand Gains Visibility Despite Government Restrictions
Offshore betting platform 1xBet received prominent visibility during India’s tour of Zimbabwe through broadcasts streamed on FanCode and Zee, raising fresh questions over how offshore betting brands continue to reach Indian audiences despite multiple government advisories restricting such promotions.
1xBet served as an official partner of the three match T20I series held between July 23 and 26 at the Harare Sports Club. Its branding appeared across perimeter boards, sight screens, presentation backdrops, and other stadium advertising inventory throughout the matches.
The development comes even as the Indian government has repeatedly advised television channels, OTT platforms, digital publishers, and online intermediaries against carrying advertisements including surrogate advertisements for offshore betting and gambling platforms.
Government Rules Tightened in 2025
Since 2022, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has issued multiple advisories discouraging the promotion of offshore betting platforms.
Separately, the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025, came into force through a government notification issued in April, while the accompanying Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Rules, 2026 became effective from May 1.
Section 6 of the Act prohibits advertisements that directly or indirectly promote online money games, raising questions about whether branding embedded in overseas sports broadcasts falls within the scope of the law when distributed in India.
Questions Over Broadcaster Responsibility
In its partnership announcement, 1xBet highlighted that the Zimbabwe series would be available on FanCode and Zee Entertainment, noting that the broadcasts would provide broad exposure for its brand among cricket audiences.
Entrackr has reached out to 1xBet seeking clarification on whether reaching Indian audiences through these platforms formed part of its sponsorship strategy, whether it had any commercial arrangement with the broadcasters, and how it views the branding in light of India’s advertising regulations. No response had been received at the time of publication.
According to a person familiar with the matter at FanCode, the platform receives the international broadcast feed directly from the publisher and has no control over stadium advertisements embedded in the live feed.
FanCode declined to comment officially.
However, the report notes that 1xBet branding also appeared in match clips later posted on FanCode’s social media handles, raising questions over whether betting-related branding could be cropped, blurred, or masked before such content is redistributed.
Entrackr has also sought responses from Zee Entertainment regarding the visibility of the branding and its safeguards for overseas sports broadcasts. The company had not responded at the time of publication.
Similar Branding Seen on Sony LIV
A similar situation emerged during India A’s tour of Sri Lanka, where 1xBet branding was visible during matches broadcast on Sony Sports Network and Sony LIV.
Entrackr asked Sony whether it was aware of the branding, whether it played any role in the sponsorship arrangement, and what safeguards it follows regarding betting-related advertisements in international feeds. Sony had not responded before publication.
The recurrence across two separate international cricket tours suggests the issue extends beyond a single broadcaster or tournament.
BCCI and Ministry Also Sought Clarification
Entrackr has also approached the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to clarify whether betting-related branding embedded in overseas sports feeds falls under existing advertising restrictions when distributed in India, and whether broadcasters or streaming platforms are expected to mask or restrict such branding.
The publication has further sought clarification from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on whether it has any contractual safeguards or policies concerning betting-related sponsorships during overseas tours involving Indian teams.
Neither the ministry nor the BCCI had responded at the time of publication.
Industry-Wide Impact
The report also notes that India’s online money gaming sector has already been affected by the new regulatory framework.
Following the implementation of the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025, companies including Dream Sports, Gameskraft, Zupee, WinZO, and A23 discontinued paid contests to comply with the new law.
While stadium advertising during overseas tours is generally controlled by host cricket boards and their commercial partners, the repeated visibility of offshore betting brands in broadcasts distributed within India has renewed debate over where regulatory responsibility ultimately lies whether with host boards, broadcasters, streaming platforms, or governing authorities.
