Is betting legal in India? The simple answer to this question is, yes!
The cornerstones of legal betting in India
Two of the most frequently asked questions we get from our readers are; Is betting legal in India and is gambling legal in India. We fully appreciate your concern and confusion around this topic. There are not many clear-cut answers to be found out there. For this matter, we have decided to become your guiding light. Someone you can trust and rely on when in doubt. Have every confidence in when venturing out in the online gambling landscape. – India Gamblers that is!
The founders and authors of India Gamblers are all gamblers just like you. We love betting on our favorite sports and pass some time spinning 5-reels. Gambling is sometimes frowned upon in India, however, it mostly stems from ignorance. As long as you gamble with your head and not over it. Stay true to yourself as a responsible gambler. You should also be able to do it legally – which you can, let’s find out how and why.
Is gambling legal in India
Let’s start with the basics
Gambling in India is regulated through federal and state laws. Governing what you can and cannot do, more or less prohibiting all forms of gambling. Regulations differ considerably between states, but online gambling is not regulated at all, which is the key here. The only exception to this rule is regulated and licensed state lotteries. Which are operated in nine states such as Goa, Sikkim, Punjab, and Kerala.
Key legislation governing online gambling in India
The key legislation that is being relied upon here comes from the Indian constitution. 7th schedule, Public Gaming Act 1867, state legislation, which expressly deals with land-based offline gambling – but there is no mentioning of online gambling whatsoever.
As there is no mentioning of online gambling in the law, they cannot prosecute anyone for it either. As long as the business offering online gambling is based outside of India you’re fine. Otherwise, they could be considered offering gambling on Indian soil which is prohibited. On India Gamblers, we only promote Indian betting sites that are incorporated abroad and have their servers located outside of India. This makes it legal for them to offer their services to Indian customers. And vice versa makes it legal for Indian customers to use their services.
The only state that expressly prohibits gambling is Maharashtra. This means that casinos are not allowed to operate in the state. Even though the Maharashtra Prevention of Gambling act makes it illegal to run a casino. Certain forms of gambling are still legal in the state. Such as horse racing, lottery and card games like rummy and poker.
What is currently being done by the Indian government to enforce the gambling law
The Indian government is blocking all intellectual property, software, and websites coming from local Indian gambling operators. Making it more or less impossible to run a betting site from within the borders of India. The Indian government has also prohibited foreign direct investments towards gambling in India and foreign exchange transactions for gambling purposes.
Nothing of the aforementioned will, however, affect you as a gambler using the betting sites listed here on India Gamblers. We only promote legal international betting sites.
