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Is online betting legal in India?
Yes, online betting and playing casino games is legal in India, there is no federal laws against it. However, betting sites are not allowed to operate from Indian territory.
That means that players from India have to play on betting sites whose servers and businesses are registered outside India.
Can I legally place bets and play casino games as an Indian resident?
The Indian online betting market is booming and expanding, but law definitions on gambling have not been properly regulated or updated for more than 140 years.
As a result, the Public Gaming Act from 1867 is still valid and there are no laws against online betting in India.
There are no legal consequences for anybody that places online bets from India with several exceptions. The only exception is State of Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh, where online betting is explicitly banned by the law.
Bottom line is that online betting is not illegal in India, it is only a matter of regulation imposed by the state of your residency.
Since the majority of Indian states do not have any kind of Gambling Act that is updated and refers to online betting, the answer to the question ‘Is online betting legal in India’ is simple; Online betting is not illegal in India.
Until governments don’t explicitly regulate the gambling sector, especially online gambling, there is NO regulation. That means you can do whatever you want, bet online or not.
Since the interest in online betting in India is rapidly growing, a lot of established online betting sites and casinos are opening their doors to Indian bettors.
How to know if the betting site is legal and regulated?
Before you make your deposit to any of the online betting sites that accept Indian customers, here are a few things you should need to know.
Ensure the Safety and Security of your Funds and Identity
Bookmakers should have the proper licences from any of the following online gaming jurisdictions;
- Malta, Gibraltar, UK, Estonia, Cyprus, Alderney or Isle of Man
- Curacao, Costa Rica, Antigua and Barbuda
The most popular jurisdictions worldwide are Curacao and Malta. That doesn’t mean other jurisdictions are not safe and secure, it is just that these 2 are the most popular. Malta is a very trusted jurisdiction, followed by Cyprus and Curacao.
For example, 10CRIC holds 2 licences – Cyprus and Curacao, while Bet365 India runs their operation under Malta gaming licence.
Any online betting site that holds a proper licence is safe and secure to bet with. Your money is insured in the jurisdiction where the betting site is registered, and your identity or personal data will never be passed to 3rd party.
Strict laws insure that no shady operation is going on and you can feel safe and comfortable placing your favourite cricket or football bets, or just playing the most popular Indian casino games.
Does the Bookmaker Accept Indian Rupees?
One of the clearest and most direct signs that the betting site will take care of all your possible issues with money transferring is that they accept Indian Rupees (INR) as a currency.
In the not-so-long-ago past, online betting for Indian players would be possible only in foreign currency, like USD or Euro.
Consequentially, unnecessary bank costs and fees would occur during the transfers and numerous currency conversions.
It is no more an issue for Indians, as most of the Indian betting sites are accepting INR as currency for both deposits and withdrawals.
The most popular payment methods services, such as UPI, PayTm, AstroPay, Neteller or Skrill should be available for your convenience.
Betting sites accepting Indian Rupees are the key to your comfort – no crazy charges, much faster and convenient deposits, and withdrawals with few clicks!
Verified and Certified Betting Sites India
Your satisfaction is our primary aim – for the same reason, we would not just list any site and say they are “great”, we will examine their reputation in detail before inclusion on our site is even possible.
We have been running sites for 20+ years and are well experienced in finding the best betting offers, free bets and work only with the most trustworthy bookmakers and safe and secure betting sites.