The Karnataka Police’s Cyber Command Unit said it blocked around 8,750 betting websites, mobile applications and related URLs ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) final, describing the exercise as one of the country’s largest crackdowns on illegal online betting networks.
However, the action also affected access to several legitimate websites, including news and information platforms, raising concerns about collateral impact from large-scale internet blocking operations.
In a statement issued on Monday, the Karnataka State Cyber Command said the operation was carried out in coordination with the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) and targeted a network of betting websites and applications allegedly facilitating illegal cricket betting activities.
“The Karnataka State Cyber Command, in active coordination with the I4C, has successfully carried out one of the largest anti-online-betting operations in India, targeting a massive network of betting websites, mobile applications and fraudulent betting URLs numbering about 8,750,” the unit said.
Networks were using mirror domain
According to the police, specialised cyber teams conducted online investigations after receiving intelligence inputs about organised groups operating illegal betting platforms.
Officials said the networks were using mirror domains, subdomains and cloned URLs to evade detection and continue operations.
“Acting on credible intelligence, specialised cyber teams conducted coordinated online investigations identifying organised groups running illegal cricket betting platforms. These platforms were found to be operating through mirror domains, subdomains and cloned URLs,” said Pranab Mohanty, Director General of Police, Cyber Command.
Mohanty said the operation had disrupted a significant portion of the illegal betting ecosystem.
“This crackdown has prevented huge losses to individuals and has disrupted the illegal betting ecosystem in the country substantially,” he said.
The blocking action was initiated on the basis of a First Information Report (FIR) registered under provisions of the Information Technology Act relating to computer-related offences, as well as sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita dealing with cheating and related offences.
The Cyber Command said investigations are continuing, including efforts to trace financial transactions linked to betting activities and identify operators behind the platforms.
“Further legal action has been initiated under relevant sections of the IT Act and BNS. Advanced technical investigation, including financial tracking of the money invested in betting and identification of betting operators, are underway,” the police said.
Legitimate websites also affected
The operation also resulted in access disruptions for some legitimate websites. Users attempting to access affected sites through certain mobile networks were shown messages stating that the requested URL had been blocked following directions issued by the Department of Telecommunications.
Police officials indicated that some websites may have been inadvertently caught in the blocking exercise because of similarities between legitimate domains and betting-related URLs.
“The algorithm may have wrongly identified these sites as being linked to betting,” officials said.
The incident highlights the challenges authorities face in tackling online betting networks, which increasingly rely on cloned websites, mirror domains and frequently changing web addresses to avoid enforcement measures.
The IPL season is typically one of the busiest periods for online betting activity, prompting law enforcement agencies to intensify monitoring and enforcement efforts across digital platforms.