All About Online Betting in India

Your friends and family must have warned you against betting. And why not? There are unfavorable outcome references in mythology regarding betting. In the Mahabharata, the Pandavas lost their kingdom and even their wife in betting. Lord Indra staked Urvashi in betting.

Nonetheless, the times have now changed. Have you ever wondered about betting in India? If yes, then you must have also wondered about its legal implications as per Indian laws. We’ll try to answer the question in this article in detail.

Is online betting in India Legal?

Online betting in India is legal, yes. Except for a few states, there is no law against online betting by the Indian Central Government. There are no laws or constitutional acts that forbid people from betting online. 

As per the Public Gambling Act of 1867, "gambling is not an offense and becomes only when it takes place in a common house or a public place." This means online betting in India and Online Casinos are not considered illegal.

There are no regulatory bodies in India for running online betting operations. But a lot of these sites are regulated by global bodies such as:

1. Malta Gaming Authority

2. United Kingdom Gambling Commission

3. Gaming Curacao

Before signing up for an online betting site, make sure to confirm the legitimacy of the website. Most of these websites include the regulatory body's information at the bottom of their page. 

Online Betting in India

There are two major divisions of betting activities as decided by gambling laws in India:

• Game of Chance The player cannot have any control over the outcome. These games are played randomly, and the outcomes are based solely on luck. The player need not have any prior knowledge or understanding of the game. Suppose you are playing Roulette at Casino and place a bet. No amount of expertise or knowledge can help you win the bet. It’s entirely your luck that makes you lose or win the bet. A game of chance is illegal if played at a physical casino. But you can play it online because Indian law doesn’t forbid online Casinos.
• Game of Skill Game of skill involves betting in those games where the prospects of winning can be made better if the player has prior knowledge and skill on the subject or prior experience of the game. Analytical decision-making, logical thinking, and calculated choices will help the player. Some games might even require some sort of training.  These games of skill are legalized and accepted in India. In 1996, the Supreme Court had ruled that horse racing is a game of skill and is hence legal in India. If you are an experienced punter, you may read the condition of the horse and the rider’s form. You can then make a calculated choice and wager your money on skillful deduction. The other examples of games of skill are Rummy and Teen Patti.

How to legally bet online in India? Select the legitimate online betting sites and follow the below-listed steps:

1. Account Registration

To begin with, select online betting in India from the list of legal and best-betting websites. Go to the signup page, and register yourself by providing the correct details in the form. Verify your email and password.

2. Login and Deposit

Once you are registered, you can log in to the website and start betting using real money. You will need to deposit the cash into your account. Some websites also provide welcome bonus offers.

3. Select Payment method and start betting

You can deposit the money via various payment gateways like UPI, Credit/Debit Cards, and Wallets. Once you have money in the account, start placing bets.

Position of Online Betting in India

Here are some of the facts about online gambling in India:

1. Horse Racing, Online Lotteries are legal in India. Horse Racing is a game of skill, whereas Online Lottery is a game of chance.

2. In Telangana and Arunachal Pradesh, the game of skill is also illegal. This is as per the Telangana State Gaming Act, 1974.

3. Maharashtra prohibits gambling under the Bombay Prevention of Gambling Act, 1887.

4. Goa, Sikkim, and Daman have legalized Online Gambling and land-based Casinos. This is as per the Public Gambling Act, 1976.

5. Goa, Kerala, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Punjab, Nagaland, West Bengal, and Sikkim are Indian states which have legalized online lotteries.

6. iGaming, a game of chance, is legalized in Sikkim and Nagaland.

We hope to see more formal laws regarding online betting in India. Doing so will help the Indian government make more profit by licensing and having betting sites pay GST, just like any other business. However, legal gambling in India requires more revamping and a proper legal framework. Also Read: - Some Good Sports Betting Tips for Beginners?