Online betting | The e-game is up

Download App Backed by a new law and coordinated enforcement, India cracks down on online betting. The arrest of Mahadev promoter Saurabh Chandrakar in Oman could provide the biggest lead in investigations into what is possibly the largest offshore betting syndicate(Illustration by Nilanjan Das / AI)ISSUE DATE: Nov 2, 2026 | Oct 24, 2026 15:28 IST Until a few years ago, Saurabh Chandrakar was selling fruit juice from a modest shop in Bhilai, Chhattisgarh. Today, he stands accused of masterminding Mahadev Online Book, an illegal betting empire that, at its peak, was alleged to have a daily turnover of Rs 240 crore-plus. From his base in Dubai, the 31-year-old had allegedly built a transnational operation that took bets from millions of Indians and generated fortunes for its promoters. This June, however, his luck ran out when, according to Indian investigators, he was arrested in Muscat, Oman, for allegedly entering the country on a forged passport. His arrest has given India a potentially crucial breakthrough in what appears to be one of the country’s biggest online betting scandals.