How Affiliation Deals Aids In Gambling Advertising Despite Government Ban

Recently, the Indian government managed to shut down over 230 illegal gambling apps. After which, the cabinet saw fit to issue a request to ban all gambling advertisements within the country. However, some online casinos have still found a way to work around this. And the secret comes in the form of affiliation deals.

How Sports Teams Affect Online Gambling Marketing

Currently, online casinos in India have been warned against advertising their services through conventional methods. However, the government never took affiliation and sponsorship deals into account. Many popular local sports teams and celebs are backed by online gambling houses.

DafatBet sponsors a popular Kabaddie team, the Teluga Titans. Two prominent ISL teams are backed by Stake. PariMatch sponsors Goa FC and Fairplay sponsors the Jaipur Pink Panthers. As you can see, there is no shortage of advertising through affiliation. And it doesn’t only stop with sporting stars. Bollywood star, Nargis Fakhri, is the proud brand ambassador for Betway. However, the casino industry has decided to go one step further in attempts to further its affiliate advertising potential.

Online Gambling Sites To Sponsor The Indian Affiliate Summit

The Internet And Mobile Association Of India (IAMAI) has announced the "largest performance marketing event in India" is to be held this year in October. Among the sponsors are PariMatch and Rajabet. PariMatch representatives even gave an address at the 2022 summit.

The IAMAI has also declared itself to be the best option to orchestrate the self-regulatory organization (SRO) for gambling online. The association has had an input on the newly drafted iGaming laws as well. However, it was rumored that they released a statement before clearing it with various parties first.

The MeITY was the team tasked with coming up with the new laws surrounding online gambling. When they released the draft, they requested feedback from various stakeholders. IAMAI released a statement claiming the draft bills "are right on intention, but poor on scoping.". However, this was met with four of the biggest casino and betting companies within India addressing MeITY claiming that IAMAI had not cleared the statement with them first.

What Will Be Done Going Forward

Going forward, the cabinet needs to first reach a consensus on the draft document. Once this has been reached, the online gambling laws, and the advertisement of iGaming, will be updated for India. iGaming companies can tentatively expect the 28% tax inflation along with laws following safety procedures and more.