Government Blocks Over 300 Gambling Sites, Total Banned Platforms Now Near 8,400 The Indian government has taken action against approximately 300 websites and applications suspected of facilitating illegal gambling and betting activities, bringing the cumulative number of blocked platforms to nearly 8,400. This move was confirmed by government officials, who cited the need to combat online gambling’s harmful effects while regulating legitimate gaming sectors. The banned platforms include a range of services such as sports betting websites, casino platforms offering slot and roulette games, live dealer tables, peer-to-peer betting exchanges, “satta/matka” gambling networks, and real-money card and casino game apps. A significant portion of these—around 4,900—were blocked after the enforcement of the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act in 2025. This law, passed by Parliament on August 21, 2025, aims to protect citizens from the risks of online gambling while promoting and regulating other forms of legal online gaming. The government emphasized that the legislation seeks to address issues like addiction, financial loss, and social harm linked to predatory gaming platforms. It highlighted the World Health Organization’s classification of gaming disorder as a health condition under its International Classification of Diseases, noting that such disorders involve loss of control, neglect of daily responsibilities, and continued engagement despite negative consequences. Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology, Ashwini Vaishnaw, previously informed the Rajya Sabha that an estimated 45 crore individuals were negatively impacted by online gambling, with losses exceeding ₹20,000 crore.#world_health_organization #rajya_sabha #information_technology_act #indian_government #ashwini_vaishnaw
Supabase Blocked in India Amid Legal Restrictions A court order issued on February 24 under Section 69A of India’s Information Technology Act has restricted public access to Supabase, a cloud-based database platform. The provision allows the government to block online content deemed harmful or violating laws. Users in India have reported inconsistent access to the service over the past several days, with the company acknowledging the issue in social media posts. While initial reports of the blockage came from Reliance Industries’ JioFiber network, users across multiple internet providers and telecom services have since confirmed similar restrictions. Supabase attempted to address the issue by tagging India’s IT minister, Ashwini Vaishnaw, in a post, but later removed the message and stated the site remained blocked for many users. The company has advised affected customers to explore workarounds, such as changing DNS settings or using a virtual private network (VPN) to bypass local restrictions. However, these solutions are not practical for most end users, according to an anonymous Indian founder who noted a decline in new sign-ups from the country over the past two to three days. A technology consultant working with local startups also reported difficulties accessing Supabase for both development and production tasks. At the time of publication, Supabase.co was inaccessible on ACT Fibernet, JioFiber, and Airtel connections in New Delhi. However, some users on ACT Fibernet in Bengaluru claimed they could still access the service, suggesting the block may not be uniformly enforced. Supabase’s main website remains accessible in India, but its developer infrastructure is blocked, raising concerns about the impact on the country’s tech ecosystem.#india #supabase #ashwini_vaishnaw #act_fibernet #jiofiber
