IPL 2025 betting frenzy puts India’s UPI system under massive strain

The ongoing season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 has not only gripped cricket fans across the country but has also pushed India’s UPI (Unified Payments Interface)—one of the world’s largest real-time payment systems—into a crisis. According to a Bloomberg report, the surge in betting and fantasy gaming linked to the IPL has funneled lakhs of crores of rupees through UPI, contributing to frequent system outages over recent weeks.

UPI, which handles $3 trillion in transactions annually and accounts for nearly half of the world’s real-time digital payments, is buckling under the seasonal load. Transaction volumes spike dramatically during match hours, especially around tosses, wickets, and crucial game moments, as millions of users place real-time bets or manage fantasy team contests.

This flood of micro-transactions, often low in value but extremely high in frequency, is clogging UPI pipelines. Platforms like Google Pay, Paytm, and PhonePe have experienced widespread disruptions, with over 80% of users reporting failed transactions during peak periods, according to Downdetector.

What makes the situation more complex is the backend architecture of betting and fantasy apps, which rely on rapid wallet top-ups and batch settlements through UPI APIs. Some platforms also route funds via offshore or intermediary wallets, adding further stress and risk to the ecosystem.

Despite concerns raised by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and mounting public frustration, regulatory oversight on betting-linked transactional spikes remains limited. Banks are scrambling to upgrade their IT infrastructure, but the unregulated growth of real-time gaming and wagering activity during IPL matches continues to expose cracks in India’s digital payment backbone.