Understanding the Gambling Laws in India

Which are the Gambling Laws in India in 2021?

There are several gambling laws in India. First off, you have the country laws which are in effect throughout India. Then, you have the state laws, which differ greatly from state to state. Laws also differ depending on if you are looking at land-based casinos or online casinos, or if you are looking at games of chance or games of skill.

Delhi Laws

Uttar Pradesh Laws

Maharashtra Laws

Karnataka Laws

West Bengal Laws

Tamil Nadu Laws

Latest Gambling Law News

Gambling laws in India are complex, and states amend their laws from time to time. No matter if they change due to a global pandemic or other reasons, we want you to know about it. We always strive to provide you with the latest news regarding India’s legal landscape so that you can play in peace.

Online Gambling Laws and the IT Act

There are no distinct overlying laws that pinpoint the online gambling industry in India. Locally, the regular gaming Acts issued by the governments are already including all forms of gambling, both online and offline.

These laws are, however, not able to touch foreign casinos.

In the year 2000, The Information Technology Act was set up. The scope: To protect people from digital activity deemed able to “corrupt” them. The Act does, however, not mention online gambling explicitly, but is used to battle foreign operators.

How?

By utilizing ISP-blocking, where a local Internet provider blocks the casino website.

Something else that native gamblers can run into when gambling online is issues with making payments. The RBI has been working hard to block any transactions made for gambling purposes, which results in us Indians having to resort to alternative methods.

Skrill, Neteller, Google Pay, and other payment solutions are therefore preferred means of payment when playing at a casino online.

Overview of Online Gambling in India

It might seem as if it’s close to impossible to enjoy online gambling in India.

But here’s the kicker;

What this means is that, although gaming companies are unable to offer casino games from within India, companies based elsewhere can.

You can play as much as you want on these websites without worrying about breaking any laws. Since they aren’t based in India, you are not participating in illegal gambling!

An ever-growing online gaming culture

Online gambling is increasingly popular in India, many thanks to increased Internet availability.According to The World Bank data, around 35% of India’s population was using the Internet in 2017. And the trend suggests that this is closer to 40% today.

The trend of Internet users in India, climbing steadily.

The number of secure internet servers in India has also increased. From being close to non-existent in 2010, over 250 thousand servers were recorded in 2018.

The number of secure internet servers in India, just passing 250,000 in 2017.

Foreign Online Gambling Sites

There are plenty of online casinos that cater to Indian players today. Some have even tailored websites for us.

Native casino tables, unique promotions, the possibility to play using rupees, and a higher focus on the games we love to play.

Casinos aimed towards India are also very good at handling payments and account verifications in a fast and secure way.

We’ve selected the operators who all offer fair and safe gambling with loads of winning chances!

Legal Game Providers in India

Even the game providers who are offering their games to online casinos are completely legal for you to play with. They are located outside of India, and also operate under strict licensing, just as the casinos.

What’s more, is that game providers regularly conduct audits on their games to ensure they are fair and safe – external organizations such as eCOGRA or iTechLabs conduct such inspections.

Conclusion

It’s safe to say that India has gone through a lot when it comes to gambling. And it still is under constant discussions around the country. Gujarat is as we speak, reviewing the legality of poker, for example.

And, as mobile use, Internet use, and overall online gambling increases, the government starts to see the potential profit in regulating the market further to retain those profits within the country.

Only time will tell in which direction the online gambling laws in India will take. A higher number of regulated states is not impossible.

Seeing as gambling does have a presence in India, it is also susceptible to taxation. Well, at least the games that are traceable back to the player.

Is foreign gambling income taxable? Since operators are based outside of India, they don’t fall under taxation laws within the country.

There’s currently no easy solution for how to trace winnings made at foreign casinos. For local income, the situation looks a bit different:

Indian online sites (such as the ones in Sikkim) will deduct a TDS (Tax Deduction at Source) on your winnings.

Looking forward

Let’s face it; we as players want to be able to chase the dream of becoming crorepatis in a secure and fair environment. Being able to play at sites that tick all those boxes is already possible through the casinos we list. But we’d love to see India become a haven for us gamblers.

How will we be able to do that?

By leading by example.

Being committed to playing responsibly and engaging in legal gambling is a good start. So without further ado, we wish you the best of luck when playing.

And remember, always play responsibly.