Legalities of Online Gambling in India
India has always had an interesting relationship with gambling. While its citizens enjoy playing various games of money, including Teen Patti and Rummy, and historically even betting on the outcome of the local crops, the early government took measures to ban gambling in the country at a national and state level.
The primary three laws that come into play at a national level are:
1. The Public Gambling Act of 1867
The government wrote this outdated gambling legislation before the invention of the internet and, as such, makes no provision for online gambling in any way. It focuses instead on the legalities of running a "gaming house". The legal definition is a "walled enclosure, room or place, playing or gaming with cards, dice, counters, money or other gaming instruments or is found there present for gaming, whether playing for any money, wager, stake or otherwise".
To adhere to India Gambling Act, none of the legal online casinos we list has any of their servers or gambling equipment in a building in India. Trusted online casinos have their servers in secure international locations. Live dealer casinos have their streaming rooms set up in UK land-based or streaming locations across Europe.
2. Prize Competition Act, 1955
The Prize Competition Act, 1955, once again predates the creation of the internet and does not refer to any form of online or digital media in its description of prize-based competitions. Instead, it speaks of limiting the value of prizes for "a crossword prize competition, a missing-word prize competition, a picture prize competition" to less than a thousand rupees per month.
Since online games of chance do not fall into this description of crossword puzzles and spot-the-difference games, they do not come under the jurisdiction of the Prize Competition Act.
3. The Information Technology Act of 2000
The most recent Act to come into power nationally in India is the Information Technology Act of 2000. Once again, local lawmakers were very clear about the intended purpose of this Act in relevance to online gambling regulations in India.
The Act goes into detail to outline the country's stance on the issue of cyber crimes and specifically names, details and lists the appropriate penalties for eighteen cyber crimes. These range from tampering with computer documents to the most heavily penalised offence of cyberterrorism.
At no point does the Information Technology Act of 2000 mention online casinos, mobile casinos, games of chance or any other reference that remotely applies to online gambling.
State Level Gambling Laws
Despite many opportunities, the government of India has never included a national law dealing with the issue of online gambling. Instead, the government has left it up to the country's 28 individual states to determine whether they will allow or refuse citizens the right to play online for real money.
Three states have embraced casinos and online gambling with open arms to date: Goa, Daman and Sikkim. These states offer nearly 20 land-based and floating casinos, officially making online gambling legal for their residents.
Because online gambling is not illegal in India, it is expected that many other states will soon follow their example and regulate it. Doing so will ensure that the revenues generated by online casino players will remain in-house rather than going to international casino operators.
In 2020 two Indian states did decide to ban online gambling. These states are Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. The states have not only made it illegal to play games of chance online for real money but being found guilty of breaking the law carries a penalty of up to one year in jail. We strongly recommend that you do not gamble online within these states.
Banking in India
One of the biggest challenges in Indian online gambling is ensuring that your deposits are always approved. Without nationwide legislation to guide them, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will sometimes block transactions for no reason. To address this issue, local players rely on web wallets to facilitate their online deposits and withdrawals when playing at offshore casinos.
You can find more information about the best casino banking methods in India below. Also, you can read more about gambling regulations in India at CasinoWow.
Characteristics of the Best Indian Online Casinos
When choosing to play at online casinos for real money in India, it is critical to understand the market and what you want from the site. To help you make an informed decision, here are the top factors we recommend you consider before opening a real money account at any online casino.
1. Available Languages and Local Currency
With more than 28 local languages and dialects, offshore casinos are hard-pressed to offer gambling games and information in all languages. To ensure that they balance serving the Indian gaming community and protecting the business, you will find that even the best online casinos refer to English terms and conditions. These casinos will often have local support in Hindi, Bengali, Tamil and other languages to assist you should you have any questions or concerns.
Our recommended online casinos on this page will offer you the option to deposit, play and withdraw in Rupees. Local banking is vital to us. We believe you need to gamble in your local currency to choose the best offers, understand your betting sizes and manage your bankroll effectively.
2. Excellent Customer Service
With the challenges presented by local language barriers, unclear state-based legislation, and the growing number of first-time online gamblers, our recommended online casinos must offer the best customer service. This support includes 24/7 access to well-trained support agents via email, live chat, and telephone.
3. Safe and Fast Banking Methods
The best online casinos understand that when you make a deposit or win a jackpot, the transfer of funds needs to be quick and easy. To this end, the best gambling sites offer their players a blend of trusted and fast banking methods.
Credit and Debit Cards
Players in India can bank with Master and Visa credit cards and debit cards, as well as RuPay. It is worth keeping in mind that these transactions carry percentage-based fees and may, sometimes, not be approved by the RBI.
Top e-Wallets
The most popular casino banking method in India by far is the web wallet. Not only does this banking method secure your personal information, but it relies solely on the relationship between Neteller, Skrill, Jeton, PayPal and MuchBetter to ensure that your deposits and withdrawals are processed and accepted.
Direct Bank Transfers
Instant banking through a provider such as Ecopayz, PayTM or Netbanking is very popular in India. This method allows players to make a direct bank deposit (EFT) from their account to the casino account with minimal delays, high success rates, and nominal fees.
Leaders in Indian Online Gambling
If you are looking for a new India-friendly online casino to join, we have a fantastic selection of sites to consider. As the Indian market continues to grow and evolve, the biggest names in online gambling are opening their doors to local players.
If you are unsure where to begin, we recommend you open an account with sites like LuckyNiki Casino, Pure Win and Parimatchwin to start. These online casinos offer fantastic Rupees bonuses, top-notch casino games, and the best service anywhere in the world. For more, check out our list of top-rated Indian online casinos.
Mobile Gambling in India
With the advancements in casino software and mobile devices, the mobile gambling sector is at an all-time high. The best casinos in India offer their players the chance to gamble anywhere they travel on their mobile devices. The casino ensures that the player has access to their favourite mobile games, can claim the best Indian bonuses and can do their banking in the mobile casino software.
Gambling in India Summary
There are plenty of opportunities to gamble in Indian online casinos, you just have to trust CasinoWow's recommendations for legal and safe online gambling sites to do so. On this page, we've provided you with useful information about how gambling in India works and everything you need to know about the iGaming market. You can also find a full list of online casinos available in India!