Betting site seeks backdoor entry into India through surrogate ads
During key moments of the Asia Cup tournament that concluded on Sunday, the image of Yuvraj Singh — dressed in whites, pumping his fists, flashing a wide smile and holding a bat — would flash on the screens.
The former India cricketer was, on paper, promoting a ‘professional sportsblog’, 1xBet. In reality, however, 1xBet is a controversial offshore betting website.
The online bookmaker, banned in several countries, including Russia, where it was founded, had in 2019 been blacklisted by Britain’s Gambling Commission following an investigation by the Sunday Times that revealed that 1xBet’s “brand had been used to promote betting on children’s sports, cockfighting and a ‘pornhub’ casino with topless women dealing the cards”. The blacklisting had also led to top football clubs competing in ...