IT Ministry Advises VPN Providers to Block Access to Banned Prediction Markets
1 hour agoPolitics
32LENS
2 SourcesIndia
TBNthebalanced.news

IT Ministry Advises VPN Providers to Block Access to Banned Prediction Markets

The Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) has advised VPN providers to prevent access to banned online betting and prediction market platforms like Polymarket, which remain accessible via VPNs despite the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025. The advisory highlights concerns over users circumventing bans through VPNs and converting Indian rupees into digital assets to participate. While some prediction markets are blocked, others like US-based Kalshi remain accessible, with the government investigating ways to address VPN misuse.

Political Bias
10%82%8%
Sentiment
45%
AI analysis of 2 sources · Published under editorial oversight by The Balanced News
Analysed 30 Apr 2026· How this analysis is produced· Editorial standards· Corrections

AI Analysis

Political bias across 2 sources
● Left 10%● Center 82%● Right 8%

The articles primarily present the government's regulatory perspective on online betting and prediction markets, focusing on enforcement challenges without partisan framing. They include official statements and acknowledge ongoing investigations, reflecting a neutral stance. The coverage does not emphasize political debate but centers on legal and administrative actions, representing regulatory and user viewpoints without evident bias.

Sentiment — Neutral (45/100)

The tone across the articles is neutral and informative, emphasizing regulatory measures and technical challenges in enforcing bans on prediction markets. There is no overtly positive or negative sentiment; instead, the coverage highlights the complexity of controlling access via VPNs and the government's efforts to address these issues, maintaining an objective and factual approach.

How 2 sources covered this story

Each source's own headline, political lean, and sentiment — so you can see framing differences at a glance.

SourceTheir headlineBiasSentiment
indianexpressWhy IT ministry has warned VPN providers against allowing access to PolymarketCenterNeutral
indianexpressDon't give access to prediction market: Govt to VPN providersCenterNeutral

Coverage timeline

indianexpress broke this story on 29 Apr, 08:05 pm. Other outlets followed.

  1. 1
    indianexpress29 Apr, 08:05 pm
    Don't give access to prediction market: Govt to VPN providers
  2. 2
    indianexpress30 Apr, 03:42 am
    Why IT ministry has warned VPN providers against allowing access to Polymarket

Lens Score breakdown

32/100
Public interest0/100
Coverage gap100%

Well-covered story — coverage matches public importance.

Who's involved

Institutions and figures named across source coverage.

Government
IT SecretaryMinistry of Electronics and IT

Story context

Category
Politics
Location
India
Sources analysed
2
Last analysed
30 Apr 2026
Key entities
Prediction marketVirtual private networkOnline gamblingInformation technologyElectronicsIndiaUSD CoinStablecoinDigital assetThe Indian ExpressFinancial transactionTamil Nadu