Table of Contents

1. What Is Fairplay and Why Is It in the News?

2. Fairplay Cricket Betting: Markets and Bet Types

3. Fairplay Casino Games: Teen Patti, Andar Bahar, Roulette & More

4. Sports Betting Options: Football, Tennis, Kabaddi & Horse Racing

5. What Is a Betting Exchange?

6. Fairplay Deposit, Withdrawal, and Payment Methods

7. KYC Verification and Account Security

8. Legal Status: What Indian Law Says

9. Fairplay Withdrawal Complaints and User Reports

10. Safer Alternatives for Cricket Fans

11. Responsible Gambling: Warning Signs and Helplines

12. Frequently Asked Questions

What Is Fairplay and Why Is It in the News?

Fairplay is an offshore betting and casino platform that became widely known among cricket fans for offering live cricket betting, IPL exchange odds, and casino games. It operated through multiple domains, including fairplay.in, fairplay24.in, and fairplay.club.

The platform attracted users by promoting cricket betting, live odds, and IPL match predictions. Fairplay is now at the centre of one of India’s largest money laundering investigations.

Key facts:

• Fairplay is registered offshore (Curacao), with no legal presence in India — no GST registration, no PAN, and no Indian entity

• The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is investigating Fairplay for illegal IPL streaming and money laundering exceeding ₹13,000 crore

• ED has attached assets worth ₹307.16 crore under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act

• Fairplay operates as a subsidiary of the Mahadev online gaming app, which provides illegal betting platforms for live games including cricket, poker, badminton, tennis, football, and card games

Fairplay Cricket Betting: Markets and Bet Types

Cricket is the most popular sport on Fairplay, followed by football and tennis. The platform offers a wide range of cricket betting markets across formats including T20, ODI, and Test matches.

Popular Cricket Betting Markets

IPL-Specific Betting Markets

The Indian Premier League (IPL) is one of the most popular cricket tournaments for betting. Fairplay offered special bonuses for IPL matches, including a 300% first deposit bonus and 5% loss-back bonus in every IPL match.

IPL betting markets include:

• IPL winner outright

• Top team in points table

• Most sixes by a team

• Orange Cap (top run-scorer) and Purple Cap (top wicket-taker)

• Match-specific predictions: toss winner, first boundary, first wicket

Fairplay Casino Games: Teen Patti, Andar Bahar, Roulette & More

Fairplay offered a comprehensive casino section with both live dealer and RNG (random number generator) games.

Indian Card Games

Teen Patti (Indian Poker)

Teen Patti is a three-card game played with a 52-card deck. Betting follows with players taking turns to make bets. Players can bet blind (without seeing cards), chaal (see the card and bet), or pack (withdraw from the current round). There is usually an ante or boot amount put on the table before betting begins.

Andar Bahar

Andar Bahar is a simple 50/50 card game. The dealer places a card face up in the centre of the table, and the player bets on one of two piles: Andar (inside) or Bahar (outside). The dealer then deals cards face up to the Andar and Bahar sections until a card matching the centre card’s value appears. The Karnataka High Court has ruled that Andar-Bahar should be treated as a game of skill rather than gambling.

Dragon Tiger

Dragon Tiger is a fast-paced one-card game popular among Indian users.

Live Casino Games

Fairplay’s live casino section features games with human dealers streamed in real time.

Slot Games

Fairplay offered a wide selection of online slots with various themes, paylines, and bonus features. Slot games are RNG-based and do not involve live dealers.

Sports Betting Options: Football, Tennis, Kabaddi & Horse Racing

Fairplay offered betting markets across multiple sports beyond cricket.

Football Betting

Football is the second most popular sport on Fairplay. Markets include match winner, over/under goals, both teams to score, correct score, and first goalscorer.

Tennis Betting

Tennis markets include match winner, set betting, total games, and player-specific markets.

Kabaddi Betting

Kabaddi has grown into a high-stakes sport with significant betting activity. The Pro Kabaddi League and circle-style matches attract betting syndicates. Fairplay offered markets on kabaddi matches.

Horse Racing Betting

The Supreme Court of India has held that betting on horse racing is a game of skill and is exempt from prohibitions under most state gaming laws. However, this exemption applies to licensed physical race courses, not offshore online platforms.

Other Sports

Badminton, basketball, and table tennis are also available on platforms like Fairplay.

What Is a Betting Exchange?

A betting exchange is a platform that allows users to bet against each other, rather than against the bookmaker. Fairplay operated as a betting exchange, which means:

• Backing a selection: You think it will win

• Laying a selection: You think it will not win

In a betting exchange, if you think a particular team is going to lose, you can bet against them and potentially make money if they do. Conversely, if you think a team is going to win, you can offer odds to other users. Betting exchanges typically take a small commission on winnings but can often offer better odds than traditional bookmakers because they don’t set the odds themselves.

In-play betting (also called live betting) is offered on various markets within different sports, allowing users to place bets during a match as odds shift in real time.

Fairplay Deposit, Withdrawal, and Payment Methods

Fairplay supported several payment methods popular in India:

• UPI (Unified Payments Interface)

• Netbanking

• Paytm wallet

• Bank transfer

• Cryptocurrency (USDT and others)

Deposit process: Users could deposit funds through the app or website. Fairplay offered a 100% bonus on the first deposit up to ₹100,000, with a minimum deposit of ₹500. A referral program offered cashback of 1% of the referred user’s amount.

Withdrawal process: Users requested withdrawals through the app. However, numerous complaints report withdrawals being approved but funds never being credited. One user reported withdrawing ₹49,000 after a T20 match, with the transaction showing “Approved” but funds never received.

KYC Verification and Account Security

Fairplay required users to complete KYC verification to use bonuses and withdraw funds. The verification process required:

• Passport or driver’s license proving identity

• Document proving residential address

The platform claimed to use SSL encryption to protect users’ personal and payment data. However, since Fairplay has no legal presence in India, submitting personal documents to the platform exposes users to identity theft risks without any regulatory oversight.

Legal Status: What Indian Law Says

Betting and gambling is a state subject under Entry 34 of List II (State List) of the Seventh Schedule of the Indian Constitution. State legislations define betting and gambling-related offences.

The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025 comprehensively prohibits all forms of online money games, whether involving games of chance, games of skill, or any combination thereof. It also prohibits advertising and promotion of such games.

Penalties for unauthorised betting and gambling:

• Minimum 1 year imprisonment, extendable to 7 years

• Fine up to ₹1 crore

What remains legal:

• E-sports (competitive digital sports)

• Online social games (casual games without financial stakes)

• Horse racing betting at licensed physical race courses

The government has issued 1,410 blocking directions related to online betting/gambling/gaming websites between 2022 and 2025. More than 1,524 blocking directions were issued including mobile applications.

Surrogate advertising: Fairplay, Parimatch, and 1xBet have promoted themselves as “news” platforms while operating as betting companies. An ad for FairPlay News was broadcast on the Star Sports network during the Asia Cup cricket between India and Pakistan. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting issued an advisory in June 2022 asking print and electronic media to refrain from publishing advertisements of online betting platforms.

Fairplay Withdrawal Complaints and User Reports

User complaints about Fairplay withdrawals are widespread across consumer forums and Trustpilot.

Common complaints include:

• Withdrawals approved but not paid: A user reported withdrawing ₹49,000 after a T20 match, with the transaction showing “Approved” but funds never credited. The user reported contacting customer care via WhatsApp for 6 days without resolution

• Account blocking after wins: Multiple users report accounts being blocked immediately after requesting large withdrawals

• Trustpilot rating: Fairplay.club is rated 1.6/5 (“Bad”), with users reporting blocked accounts and unreturned deposits

• Trustpilot rating: Fairplay247 is rated 2.9/5 (“Average”), with users reporting withdrawal locks when winning big

• Security scanner warning: Fairplay.online is classified as a suspicious website with a trust score of 1/100 by security scanners

If you are experiencing a withdrawal problem, you can file a complaint through the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal or call the 1930 helpline.

Safer Alternatives for Cricket Fans

With the blanket ban on real-money gaming, cricket fans can still engage with the sport through:

• Fantasy cricket (free-to-play): Some fantasy platforms offer free contests without entry fees

• Cricket news and analysis: Follow live scores, player stats, and match predictions through legal sports media

• E-sports cricket: Competitive digital cricket tournaments are permitted under the law

• IPL Fairplay Award: The IPL’s official Fairplay Award recognises teams for on-field conduct — a legitimate way to engage with the “fairplay” concept

Important: Even if a platform uses the name “Fairplay” or “fairplay,” verify its legal status before registering. Many copycat domains have emerged targeting users searching for “fairplay login” or “fairplay app download.”

Related internal resources:

• For details on KYC requirements and how to verify a legal operator, see our [KYC Verification Guide].

• For payment safety and UPI transaction rules, visit our [Payment Methods page].

• For full legal terms, read our [Terms and Conditions].

Responsible Gambling: Warning Signs and Helplines

If you or someone you know is struggling with gambling addiction, free support is available 24/7:

Warning signs of problem gambling:

• Chasing losses with larger bets

• Lying about gambling activity

• Financial strain affecting basic needs

• Anxiety or depression after gambling sessions

• Inability to stop despite negative consequences

Responsible gambling means playing for entertainment, not as a way to make money.

Helpful internal resources:

• Learn more about safe play practices on our [Responsible Gaming page].

• If you need assistance with account issues or complaints, visit our [Contact Us page].

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Fairplay legal in India?

No. Fairplay operates without a licence in India. The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025 bans all online money games. Using or promoting such platforms can result in imprisonment and fines.

What games did Fairplay offer?

Fairplay offered cricket betting, football betting, tennis betting, kabaddi betting, horse racing betting, and casino games including Teen Patti, Andar Bahar, Roulette, Blackjack, Baccarat, Dragon Tiger, Poker, and slot games.

What is a betting exchange?

A betting exchange is a platform that allows users to bet against each other, rather than against the bookmaker. Users can “back” (bet on a win) or “lay” (bet on a loss), with the platform taking a small commission on winnings.

Can I withdraw money from Fairplay?

Many users report being unable to withdraw funds from Fairplay. Accounts are often blocked after withdrawal requests, and since Fairplay has no legal presence in India, there is no legal recourse for recovery.

What is the Fairplay Award in IPL?

The IPL Fairplay Award is an official recognition given to the team that best demonstrates sportsmanship and adherence to the spirit of cricket throughout the season. It is unrelated to the betting platform of the same name.

How do I report a Fairplay scam?

File a complaint at cybercrime.gov.in or call 1930. You can also report to your bank and the Online Gaming Authority of India once its grievance portal is operational.

Is the Fairplay app safe to download?

Security scanners have flagged multiple Fairplay app domains as suspicious or scam websites with very low trust scores. Downloading these apps exposes you to malware, data theft, and financial loss.

What payment methods did Fairplay support?

Fairplay supported UPI, Netbanking, Paytm wallet, bank transfer, and cryptocurrency (USDT and others).

What is the legal status of horse racing betting in India?

The Supreme Court has held that betting on horse racing is a game of skill and is exempt from prohibitions under most state gaming laws. However, this exemption applies to licensed physical race courses, not offshore online platforms.

What is surrogate advertising?

Surrogate advertising is a practice where a banned or heavily regulated product is promoted by highlighting another category. Fairplay, Parimatch, and 1xBet have used “news” platforms to promote betting services.

Legal Disclaimer

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Gambling laws vary by jurisdiction. Readers are advised to consult a qualified legal professional for advice specific to their situation.

Age Restriction: 18+ only. Gambling can be addictive. Please play responsibly.