18+ Play responsibly

Is Online Betting Legal in India?

Jarin Ahmed Author Jarin Ahmed Last updated 7. June 2023 Reading time: 3 min
Fact-checked by By Martins Lasmanis
Martins Lasmanis
Martins Lasmanis

With more than 10 years of experience in online marketing, and special focus on the gambling affiliation sector over 5 years, Martin Lasmanis is a true expert in his niche. Today, Martin's vision is to build the largest lead generator company in the world. Fortunately, we have the perfect team to make his dream come true!

We know for a fact that many of you wonder, “is gambling legal in India?”. Thankfully, the answer is pretty simple and we have it for you. All you have to do is read this post from top to bottom. We’re going to start with a list of legal betting sites and then delve into the discussion.

List of Betting Sites

1
888starz

Bonus 100% welcome bonus up to INR 8,000

  • Fantastic selection of cryptocurrencies accepted
  • Novel token-based reward system
  • Great welcome bonus
  • Mobile friendly

− Tokens from 888Starz are not available for use on sportsbooks

Rating 4.8
Sign up Review
2
10CRIC

Bonus 100% bonus up to ₹15,000

  • Welcome bonus comes with a 90 days expiration time
  • A number of Cricket-based bonus offers
  • Fast transactions

− Does not have options for horse racing

Rating 4.5
Sign up Review
3
Megapari

Bonus 100% first deposit bonus up to 20,000 INR +150 FS

  • Extensive casino game collection.
  • Live betting
  • Live support offered in Hindi
  • Reliable licence and regulatory bodies

− Not all Indian banks are in the banking options.

Rating 4.8
Sign up Review
4
Mostbet

Bonus 100% match bonus up to ₹20,600

  • The platform is compatible with tablets, laptops, desktops, and mobile phones
  • Mostbet live dealer and table games are worth checking out
  • Licensed and monitored by the Curacao Gaming Authority
  • Many channels to reach the customer support team

− Average collection of sports for betting

Rating 4.5
Sign up Review
5
Drip Casino

Bonus 150% welcome bonus bonus of up to 10,000₹

  • Simple and clear navigation
  • An extended set of bonuses
  • Applications for iOS and Android
  • Live betting mode

− A limited number of payment options

Rating 4.8
Sign up Review
6
SOL Casino

Bonus Welcome bonus Up to Rs 10,000

  • Wide range of sports
  • Competitive odds and low margins
  • User-friendly mobile app
  • 24/7 customer support

− Limited bonuses & promotional offers

Rating 4.5
Sign up Review
7
Jet Casino

Bonus 150% bonus on the first sports betting deposit

  • Wide range of sports
  • Competitive odds and low margins
  • User-friendly mobile app
  • Excellent customer support

− Limited availability of promotional offers

Rating 4.5
Sign up Review
8
Fresh Casino

Bonus 150% welcome bonus of up to ₹10,000

  • over 37 sports;
  • good odds;
  • live betting;
  • top cricket events.

− fewer payment options;

Rating 4.8
Sign up Review

A General Review on Betting Online in India

For the most part, the answer to “is betting legal in India” is no. The Indian government strictly monitors the presence of physical betting shops or casinos all over the country. Only 3 independent territories can host gambling services from within the country. They’re Daman, Sikkim, and Goa. One of the main reasons behind this is the high tourist traffic in these states.

Online gambling, however, still remains unregulated. And when there is no regulation in the first place, you can’t call something legal or illegal. But if you’re asking is betting legal in India or not, the short answer would be yes. Because online gambling is not criminalized by law. 

Betting Laws in India

Let’s get you up to date with the existing laws in the country so that you have a better idea of whether betting in India legal or not. These should also answer “is online betting legal in India” or not. 

  1. Public Gambling Act 1867

    The only existing law in India that regulates gambling is the Public Gambling Act of 1867. Yes, you read that right. It’s 1867! At the time of writing this post, this act is over 150 years old! This bill was actually passed by the British when India used to be a colonial state. Needless to say, the idea of the internet wasn’t even conceived during that time. So, there are no mentions of online gambling laws in India cannot be found. 

  2. Prize Competition Act 1955

    As the Public Gambling Act criminalizes hosting betting services for real money within the border, many businesses switched their model to a prize-based one. Instead of winning money, you would win prizes. And everything would be classified as “competition”. This act is implemented to stop that from happening. 

  3. Information Technology Act 2000

    After the internet started to become a mainstream service, the Indian government introduced Information Technology Act 2000. It’s designed to regulate cyber activities across the country. However, this law too doesn’t mention online gambling or betting. According to current statistics, gambling activities in India amount to $60 billion every year! What’s more alarming is that half of these bets are illegally placed. 

    Thankfully, the paradigm is changing as more and more legal betting sites are starting to accept bettors from India. When you have a regulated channel to place real money bets, why would you go for illegal gambling houses?

Summary

So, is betting legal In India? The answer is both yes and no. It’s yes in the sense that you won’t get prosecuted by the government. And not in the sense that there are no laws legalizing online betting. The same goes for the question “is cricket betting legal in India?” or any other similar questions you can think of.

Jarin Ahmed

Jarin Ahmed

Like many aspiring writers, Jarin focuses on bringing life to the text for her readers. She is an avid sports lover, growing up in a family obsessed with bookies. She is an expert in the iGaming niche and has secondary obsessions with Gardening and cooking.

Article rating

4.7/5
3 votes

Frequently Asked Questions

  • 💡Is Online betting legal in India?

    Online betting is technically “unregulated” in India. It means you can’t host gambling services within the country but if the operator is offshore, it’s not illegal.

  • 💡Can I bet legally online?

    You can bet but its legality wouldn’t be set in stone. It’s simply because India doesn’t have any laws for online gambling to begin with.

  • 💡Can you bet on sports in India?

    Yes, you can bet on sports in India thanks to all the offshore gambling sites that accept players from the country.

  • 💡Which is the best online betting site in India?

    We’ve listed the best legal betting sites online in India for you. It’s best if you check all of them out and compare the features before deciding on one.

  • 💡How to stay safe when betting?

    Make sure you’re betting at a licensed gambling site that has a reputed presence among the bettors.

Our Awards and Nominations