India cannot easily pass laws that reach into Malta or Curacao. Instead, the government must focus on cutting the financial oxygen that keeps these offshore entities running. One practical step involves updating the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to classify unregulated offshore gambling transactions as predicate offenses. This empowers agencies to freeze local bank accounts linked to these platforms.
Taxation serves as another lever. By imposing strict Goods and Services Tax (GST) rules on any digital payment directed toward foreign gambling domains, India makes the service prohibitively expensive. If the money cannot move easily through the UPI or banking system, the business model breaks. Governments should collaborate with the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) to identify high-risk jurisdictions and pressure them to tighten their own licensing rules.
Data sharing is the final piece. India needs bilateral treaties with mid-shore hubs to track digital footprints. Relying on voluntary cooperation rarely works; formal Mutual Legal Assistance Treaties (MLATs) are better. These agreements allow Indian investigators to request banking records from foreign regulators more reliably. It is about making the cost of doing business in India too high for rogue offshore operators.
