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How online gaming has been redefined in India and Brazil
As some of you know, I spent time in India during my MBA, taking what felt like a crash course in Indian economics, logistics, and marketing. We toured Coca-Cola factories and emergency response centers, and what struck me most was how often comparisons were made to England or London.
One of my professors explained that India has long carried a sense of post-colonial overcompensation, a tendency toward bureaucracy and regulation born out of centuries of British control. He told me about a friend who had to complete months of environmental studies and fill out endless paperwork just to open a small roadside peanut stand. That image has always stayed with me, because it perfectly captures India’s relationship with regulation: complex, cautious, and deeply institutional.
That’s why the recent speed of legislative change in India’s online gambling laws is so fascinating. A market that was set to exceed nine billion dollars in value and employed hundreds of thousands of people effectively became a black market overnight, with new laws pushed through in less than 48 hours.
Cricket, India’s national sport, had been heavily sponsored by gaming brands, including a forty-three million dollar partnership with a fantasy sports operator. All of that became illegal within two days.
But here’s the reality: players didn’t stop playing.
In the weeks following the ban, VPN searches and app downloads reportedly surged by thirty-three percent, suggesting that serious players simply moved underground. Telegram casino activity also spiked, with Telegram’s global user base surpassing one billion and over one hundred million of those users based in India. Estimates now suggest that ten to fifteen percent of Telegram’s audience interacts with casino-style bots.
To me, that doesn’t reflect a market becoming safer or more responsible. It reflects one rapidly migrating toward the unregulated black market.
Still, there is hope. As of this week, the Supreme Court of India is hearing challenges to the ban. There is talk of allowing online betting tournaments, which could signal the beginning of a more balanced, pragmatic approach to regulation.
Opportunities for affiliates in India
At Game Lounge, we strongly advocate for compliance and responsible play. Even in challenging markets like India, there are opportunities for affiliates willing to adapt. The government’s stance has created an opening around e-sports and skill-based games, areas that affiliates can pivot towards. This is a moment to shift from exposure to exploration, to
invest in content diversification, skill-based verticals, and data-led audience building. When regulation stabilizes, those with ethical, SEO-driven, and compliant foundations will be the first to re-enter successfully.
If India represents contraction, Brazil represents expansion. It has taken the opposite path.
Brazil has officially become the largest regulated gambling market in the world, after deciding to legalize online gambling at a federal level. But with this regulation comes a new era of rigor and discipline. A friend of mine from São Paulo put it best: “The gold rush is over. It’s all about compliance now.”
The new Brazilian framework has transformed the way affiliates must operate. Welcome bonuses are no longer allowed, which means customer retention and player loyalty funnels have become more important than ever. Crypto payments have been completely prohibited, forcing affiliates to be selective and careful about which operator partners they choose to work with.
Building partnerships in Brazil
Although Brazil’s size makes it an incredibly attractive market, the average bet is only about eight euros, with the average monthly spend per player sitting around twenty-five euros. Affiliates need to think carefully about whether this market aligns with their business model, and for many, that will mean shifting from traditional revenue-share models to flat fees or hybrid deals.
The influencer landscape has also changed dramatically. Brazil boasts roughly twenty million Instagram influencers, about ten percent of the country’s population. but new laws now hold affiliates and operators jointly responsible for influencer compliance. Missteps can lead to significant fines, making due diligence and reputation management more critical than ever.
And then there’s tax. The Brazilian Finance Ministry, seeing billions in potential revenue, is not only doubling existing taxes but also considering retroactive application. A bold move, and a very Brazilian one.
For affiliates, this is the definition of high-stakes opportunity. Success will depend on growing within the guardrails, building compliant partnerships, integrating data sharing, and prioritizing community-first content over purely promotional funnels.
And let’s not forget the ever-changing digital landscape. Google’s algorithmic updates continue to play a major role in our industry. In Brazil, signals related to E-E-A-T, YMYL, localization, and compliance now directly affect visibility and traffic.
At Game Lounge, we’ve been working hard to future-proof our operations against exactly these kinds of shifts. Player quality is one of our main focuses; we’re leveraging behavioral data and lifetime value modeling to demonstrate tangible value to our partners. Our funnels are transparent and compliant — built on clean traffic, traceable reporting, and responsible marketing, which provide a genuine competitive advantage.
Localization is another key pillar. We don’t just translate content; we tell culturally relevant stories. Spain and Argentina, for example, may share a language, but their audiences are entirely different, and we approach each market with that level of sensitivity.
We’ve also taken steps to diversify geographically. India’s volatility reminded us never to overexpose ourselves to a single market, so we’re expanding steadily across LATAM, Europe, and other regions.
And above all, we remain agile. In the space of a year, Brazil became the world’s biggest regulated market. India went black. Then perhaps white again. Taxes doubled, algorithms shifted, and consumer behavior evolved. Agility isn’t just an advantage anymore – it’s survival.
This isn’t merely about compliance; it’s about evolution. Affiliates must transition from being simple traffic sources to becoming strategic growth partners that operators can rely on, even in the most volatile conditions.
The future of iGaming belongs to those who can adapt quickly, act responsibly, and think long-term. At Game Lounge, that’s exactly what we’re doing.
Keith Geary, is the Director of Casino at Game Lounge, managing content, CRM, and Acquisition across 13+ global markets. Keith is a seasoned digital marketing leader with deep expertise in the global gaming industry. With over 15 years of experience, he has driven acquisition, product development, and CRM strategies for major gaming brands, including Playtech, Camelot, and Game Lounge.
