Online gambling laws in India have always been a heated and most discussed debate topic among Indian Players. Since India’s gambling rules are distributed and quite complicated, it seems hard for players to contemplate whether their state government allows them to bet online.
The majority of the Indian population is leaning their interest towards online betting, but the only question that comes their way Is Online Betting Legal for them? There are huge numbers of online betting operators, sites, and casinos that offer amazing rewards and bonuses.
Many of these online upi casinos offer Indian players to bet in Rupees, with the added advantage of Payment Gateways that Indian Players regularly use. Many online casinos are going out of their way to grab Indian Players’ attention.
With so many added advantages offered by online betting sites, there is still confusion among players, and many of them are still wondering, Is betting legal?
To clear all the dilemmas regarding online betting, we gather all the necessary information players need to enjoy their online betting experience fearlessly. So read along!
What are online gambling laws in India?
As per the Constitution of India, states are empowered to make state-specific rules for online betting. While some states have adopted the “Public Gambling Act”, others have made their own customized rules to prohibit/promote various online betting and gambling activities.
As per the Public Gambling Act, 1867, any betting or gambling that involves win/loss of real money is considered illegal except if the games required mere skills of the player, thus online gambling laws in India offer players to showcase their skills in the betting games and win rewards for it.
Many states do not go through the Public Gambling Act, and the state government has self-made enactments that allow players to play certain games or illegal betting completely.
Sikkim has introduced its licensing regime for its online casinos and sports betting under Sikkim Act, 2009. While in Telangana, the Telangana Amendment Act is highly controversial for prohibiting games requiring skillsets and facing challenges in Hyderabad High Court.
Yet another strict example of state-specific online gambling laws in India is the Andhra Pradesh Gaming Act 1976, which prohibits players from staking money even on betting games that require skills or, more specifically, “any act of risking or making money by betting or gambling”.
The Public Gambling Act, 1867 does not prohibit gamblers from trying their luck in casino gambling; it merely restricts “Public Gambling” or “Common Gaming Houses”. Common Gaming Houses are any institution, regardless of its size, that offers many gambling options like dice, cards, tables, etc., and offers the opportunity to profit from them.
It is bewildering to answer Is Online Betting Legal for Indian players? Because if one law defies them to bet online, another considers online betting legal if it requires skills.
How are different online games regulated in India?
It’s the type of game that defines whether it is legal under the online gambling laws in India. Gambling with the risk of losing or winning money using any skill set of players is highly prohibited. Price Competition Act 1955 also applies to many types of online gambling games with prize competitions.
Certain other laws apply to different types of online gambling in India, such as:
Poker:
Since there are many variations of Poker, and many of them require efficient skills to play. Poker has been a quite arguable topic when it comes to deciding whether this game requires a skill set or not.
West Bengal has excluded Poker from its “Gambling” games considering West Bengal Gambling and Prize Competition Act, 1957. Nagaland considers Poker as a highly skilled game. As per the Karnataka Police Act, 1963, no license is required to play Poker as a game of skill.
Casino:
As per the “Goa Act”, Goa, Daman and Diu have permitted licensed regulation for classic casinos and slot machines in many luxurious hotels. The Sikkim act covers almost every classic casino game like roulette, blackjack, and casino brag.
Many online-themed casino games are available on online gambling sites that seem to be legal under online gambling laws in India as they might require the player’s skill set to stand a chance of winning.
Sports Betting:
Many sports betting apps are widely promoted among Indian audiences; one of the best examples of Sportsbook in India is Dream11, which extensively allows players to gamble on their favorite team winning chances.
There are enactments in the online gambling laws of India that allow wagering on many sports online unless the minimal conditions are met.
Online Casinos in India
There are numerous online casinos available for Indian gamblers. Many in-house online casinos like Rummy and Teen Patti have thrilled Indians. Apart from that, these in-house betting apps are based on the player’s skills and decision-making. Dream11 can be considered Indian’s in-house Sportsbook, as this online betting app allows players to bet hundreds of sports leagues.
Many overseas online betting sites have molded themselves so that Indians players can get more opportunities to play on their betting collection. There is no specific online gambling law of India that prohibits Indian players from betting on these offshore casinos. Indian players can not be punished for online gambling.
Many popular online betting sites like Casumo, Genesis Casino, Pure Casino, Casoola, LeoVegas offer thousands of betting game variations and amazing welcome bonuses and loyalty points unbeatable. Many famous games like the Book of Dead, MegaBall, Monopoly, etc., with their extended versions. All the classic casino game lovers can now enjoy the thrills of live casino tables like Blackjack, Roulette, Baccarat, and Poker since most online betting sites offer live casino options where players can directly interact with other players and their dealers.
Is online betting safe?
When it comes to online betting, bettings sites that allow betting in Rupees takes a hit among Indian players. Everyone loves to play in their currency as there is no confusion and no need to wait for currency conversion.
Almost every online casino takes players’ safety and security seriously. Their strict SSL encryption keeps the player’s gaming statistics and sensitive credentials safe. Payment gateways used by online bettings sites are highly protected, and it is next to impossible to hack these sites.
Many online casinos offer Indian players an added advantage to deposit or withdraw money from their regular banking options. UPI has changed the entire gambling experience with its secure and fast interbank transaction in minutes. Payment options like BHIM UPI, Paytm, Google Pay, PhonePe are available on many online betting sites.
You may also find net banking options from many domestic banks in India like SBI, ICICI, HDFC, and Axis. Hence, when deposit and withdrawal are made with your most trusted payment option, there is no question of breach of security.
Is betting legal?
The online gambling law of India is quite entangled and complicated considering the state-specific enactments and acts. While some states consider a certain casino game illegal, other states consider it a skilled game.
According to the Supreme Court of India, any online betting and gambling act that requires players’ skill to win or lose the game is legal. Also, there is no objective test to decide whether a betting game requires skills or not.
The lack of a clear litmus test is a proven advantage for Indian gamblers as it cannot be determined that the genre in which they are gambling is legal as per the online gambling law of India.
Online betting sites offer many games where the winning ratio depends on the mere chance of outcomes and numerous online casinos variation. Some of this variation might use players’ memory or judgment to make a bet. Hence, they are legal to play in India.
Conclusion
The online gambling law of India seems to be multi-layered. Hence, each law contradicts with others and lacks decisive attributes to check whether certain online gambling games require skill sets or their outcomes are mere chance has kept many Indians confused.
As of now, Indian Players can enjoy numerous online casinos and betting sites and thousands of casino games and their amazing bonus.
Even though overseas sites are going out of their way to greet and attract Indian players is prolific, we have a word of caution for you. We would suggest you read their policies before going on board with the online casinos as these offshore sites do not get under state law.
Overall, the clarity of the online gambling law of India is still under greyscale since there is no definite restriction on betting in online casinos. Unless there is a definite online gambling rule for India, almost every game offered by online betting sites can be considered a skilled game in one way or another. It is up to the players to play responsibly.
Even though online gambling is legal for Indian Players due to the enabled constitutional laws, players should gamble responsibly and should never be taken as a source of income. If you feel that gambling is addictive for you, many online casinos offer limited gambling set up for players to decrease their gambling addiction eventually.