Legal Online Betting In India

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Updated: 2021-01-17
  1. Is Online Betting Legal In Indiana
  2. Online Betting Legal States
  3. Legal Online Betting Sites In India
  4. Legal Online Betting Indiana

Generally speaking, online gambling is neither legal, nor it is illegal in India due to the fact that there is no direct mention of it in the Public Gambling Act from 1867. Moreover, the legal situation becomes even more complicated due to the fact that the Indian Constitution grants the separate states the right to autonomically govern. We would recommend using Bet365 as one of your main bookmakers from India. Bet365 is one of the most well-known online betting sites on the planet, and they have a great reputation among bettors and others in the industry. You can trust them both with your money and personal information.

Whether you are a beginner in the world of casinos or just someone fascinated with online gaming, indeed, this question has run through your mind before – Are online casinos legal in India?

We often indulge in some form of gambling as a recreational activity, for example, getting together with friends or family to enjoy a game of cards. In fact, the festival of Diwali is celebrated by playing card games with family and friends. We all have our favorites – Satte Pe Satta, Teen Patti, Bluff, Dehla Pakad, Rummy, and so many others. But gambling on online platforms is a totally different scenario.

The operator which offers gambling as a service and the customers who take part by playing on such platforms must be aware of what the Indian law says about online gambling.
So if you want to know whether or not online gambling is legal in India, here’s the full explanation for it.

Is Online Gambling Considered Legal in India?

The answer to this question is not all that straightforward because Indian gambling laws are not clearly defined for the online domain. Let’s look at the dynamics of whether online casinos are legal in India, starting with the different rules and acts enforced by the Government of India.
First, the Public Gambling Act of 1857 prohibits individuals and organizations in India from owning or operating any public gaming unit. So as per this act, a person or company based in India cannot offer any gambling services to the general public in any form whatsoever, which applies to both online and offline platforms. As such, there are no online gambling sites that are based in India.

But later on, the Lotteries Act of 1998 allowed Indian states to operate and run lotteries. Furthermore, the authority to decide the legality of gambling activities has been granted to the state government, so each state can make its own rules for allowing or forbidding any gambling activity. As of yet, Sikkim and Goa are two states that have legalized gambling, and these are the only two states in India where you can find brick and mortar casinos.

But now let’s come to the main question – what is the legal status of online gambling in particular? The law has clearly stated that all forms of gambling are illegal and prohibited in India. But when a foreign-based gambling site accepts customers from India, the government cannot hold them accountable as per Indian laws. As long as the operator is based in a country where gambling is legal and properly licensed, they cannot be subjected to Indian regulations.

And India’s gambling law also doesn’t mention anything about Indian citizens playing on such gambling sites based out of the country. So it’s not possible to penalize players for playing on foreign casino sites. These loopholes and discrepancies in Indian laws, especially when it comes to online forms of gambling, make it possible for Indians to play on gambling sites without being subjected to any legal action. There is no reason to worry if you want to register and play at online casinos in India.

How Do I Deposit and Withdraw Indian Rupees with Online Casinos?

Online casinos have improved their payment systems for Indian players, and there are many options available for deposits and withdrawals these days. The most common payment methods are credit and debit cards and bank transfers. However, you also need to check if your bank accepts transactions to casino sites when you’re opting for card payment or bank transfer. You will be relieved to know that many casino sites accept payments from some well-known Indian banks.

In recent years, casinos have also integrated UPI payments and Indian e-wallets like Paytm and PhonePe as supported payment methods on their platform. These options are not available in all casinos. Still, more casino sites are slowly starting to include UPI and e-wallets, so finding such a site should not be too hard, and it will be even easier if you just check out our list of top online casinos in India.

But remember that not all casinos that accept Indian players support Indian currencies as well. If you want to make deposits and withdrawals in Indian Rupees, then you need to go to a casino where Indian currency is supported. Fortunately, due to the growing popularity of gambling sites among Indian players, you will find quite a handful of casinos that support Indian currency and offer convenient payment methods like credit/debit cards, bank transfer, net banking, and UPI, and e-wallets. It has become much easier to make deposits and withdrawals in Indian currency these days.

Which Are the Best Casinos in India? What Games Can I Play in Indian Online Casinos?

While there are numerous online casinos in India, the ones that have built a good reputation and user base are Royal Panda, Betway, LeoVegas India, and a few others reviewed on our website. These casinos offer all the games and accept various methods of deposit for INR.
Some of the popular games available across new sites are Live Blackjack, Live Dealer Roulette, and a score of Live Poker games such as Three Card, Texas Hold ‘Em, Stud Poker, among many others.

Legal Online Betting In India

What Bonuses Do Indian Online Casinos Offer?

There are many types of bonuses offered by Indian sites, such as first deposit bonus, free spins bonus, no deposit bonus, and reload bonus. The amount of bonus funds you get from such offers are decided independently by each casino site. The most common type of offer is a 100% deposit match bonus, but some casinos raise the bar higher with 150% or even 200% match bonuses. When claiming casino bonuses, ensure that you check all the terms and conditions in detail, such as minimum deposit required, maximum bonus amount, wagering requirements, expiry dates, etc.

Legal sports betting in India is available and the country is surprisingly reflective of how sports betting is in the United States is in 2021. That is due to the fact that a large majority of India legal sports betting in 2021 will be determined by local governments. Also, there are no federal restrictions that are put into place, and leaving it up to the states seems to be profitable in India. At the moment, sports betting is a $150 billion industry. There a couple of different sports betting options in India that are available, but most of them are unregulated.

We will give you an idea on what the overall legality sports betting is here. Topics range from online sports betting in India and covering the most popular sports to bet on in India to even where the taxed revenue goes as well. By the end of this page, you will have a much better understanding of the sports betting industry in India from both a tourist and a local viewpoint.

Legality Of Sports Betting In India

Legal sports betting in India is in an interesting spot. There are no federal restrictions when it comes to the industry and the rules and regulations are determined in a state by state basis. Each state of India can determine whether or not they can legalize sports betting and how sports betting will look in their respective jurisdictions. At the moment though, only Sikkim, Goa, and the union territory of Daman & Diu have legal sports betting.

Most of the sports betting happens at unregulated markets and there are a couple of unsafe underground sportsbooks that are currently active in India. Due to the fact that they are unregulated and underground, we do not recommend them. If you are looking for safe India sports betting, you need to go online. We are talking about online offshore sportsbooks. There are no laws in India that prevent sports bettors from using offshore sportsbooks to bet on their favorite games and teams. With the way sports betting is implemented in India, sports betting is overall unregulated in the country.

Is Online Sports Betting Legal In India?

Online sports betting is legal in India. While there are some sports betting platforms exclusive to the country, most people use internet sportsbooks to place wagers on various sporting events worldwide. These sports betting operators are legal for the gamblers in the country to use. The sites that are unavailable to Indian players will not be open to joining; however, there are many open sportsbooks to sign up with and use without any worries of problems down the line as they are all 100% legal.

These sports betting sites are the most trustworthy and reliable sports betting platforms to gamble with which is why they are the most popular in India. SportsBetting Sportsbook is one that is used quite a bit in the country. They have a number of bets posted for events happening worldwide and members from India can wager on any and all of them without the worry of getting into trouble unless that trouble is from whether or not the bet made covers the spread.

India Sports Betting Markets

While the lack of federal restrictions on sports betting is good, there are still only a few provincial options for sports betting. The three regions that offer regulated sports betting have a combined population of just 2.6 million people, which sounds like a lot but represents only 0.2% of India’s population. For this reason, online sportsbooks are the most popular outlet for sports bettors. The most popular sports in the country are cricket and field hockey. Soccer, rugby, tennis and mixed martial arts all also have a sizable following. India’s cricket following is the most devout in the world, and it is estimated that Indian cricket draws €2.5 billion ($2.7 billion) in wagers annually.

Rugby and soccer also draw heavy betting interest, but the fact is, India is largely non-competitive in these sports globally. Indian rugby is currently not ranked in the World Rugby top 30, while the Indian soccer team is ranked 108th in the FIFA International Rankings. India’s national cricket team is the top-ranked squad in the world, although England took home the Cricket World Cup in 2019.

India Sports Betting Sites

While there are plenty of underground bookies in India, all state-licensed sports betting is handled online. As mentioned above, sports betting is only licensed by the state in a small handful of provinces in India. The provincial governments are responsible for monitoring and regulating sports betting. However, online sports betting is still available outside these provinces through internationally licensed online sportsbooks that are licensed to handle wagers from all over the world.

These international sportsbooks are not subject to the same legal restrictions as domestic sportsbooks and are thus available to the 99.8% of the Indian population living outside the legal sports betting provinces. International sportsbooks offer betting on cricket, soccer, rugby, MMA, and many other popular sports. And the best part is that they offer lucrative deposit bonuses and superior payout rates to those you would find with a domestic book. These sites receive hundreds of thousands of visitors from India.

SportsBetting Sportsbook – One Of The Best Sportsbooks In India!

SportsBetting is one of the most tried and true online sportsbooks on the internet. This online offshore sportsbook has been running for a couple of years and they have odds on all kinds of sports. If you like putting money down on American football to cricket, then this is the site for you. It’s not just the different sports that you can bet on that makes SportsBetting so great. There is also the fact that SportsBetting has some of the best online security on the entire internet. Know that if decide to use SportsBetting to wager on sports in India, your data is completely safe with them. We highly recommend players in India use SportsBetting for the absolute best experience.

Deposit Methods + Currencies Used In India

While you are using sportsbooks in India, you have a couple of different options for currencies you can use and deposit methods. To put it simply, if you have access to the Indian rupee or Great Britain’s pounds, then you can easily bet on sports in India. But if you are from outside both of those countries, converting your money into either one of these currencies could prove difficult for you. That is why we always recommend you to use Bitcoin when accessing online offshore sportsbooks. The reason is that Bitcoin is accepted all over and sites like SportsBetting loves it when you use cryptos over other deposit methods. It makes the entire sports betting process a lot easier for you and the sportsbook. There are other deposit methods that you can take advantage of as well. The sportsbook deposit methods in India are as follows:

CryptocurrenciesVisa CardVisa ElectronMasterCard
MasterCard MaestroSkrillSkrill 1-TapNeteller
PaySafeCardEntroPayAstropayBank Wire
Check

How Do I Withdraw My Winnings In India?

Of course, if you are going to bet on sports while you are in India, you are going to want to know how you are going to get paid in the case that you win. Although there are fewer withdrawal methods that are available, they are proven to be reliable to withdraw your money from online sportsbooks. Of course, the best method is cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. Bitcoin allows you to make money in and out of your account quickly and efficiently. If you are looking for the best withdrawal method, we suggest Bitcoin and other cryptos. Here are the other withdrawal methods available to you.

CryptocurrenciesVisa CardVisa ElectronMasterCard
MasterCard MaestroSkrillNetellerEntroPay
AstropayBank WireCheck
India Info
Status:Unregulated
Retail:None
Online:Offshore
Min Age:18+
Restrictions:None, but unregulated
Popular Sports:Cricket, Horse Racing, Rugby, Soccer, Tennis

Who Regulates Sports Betting In India?

Sports betting in Indiana is as of now still unregulated, which means there is no legislation or governance that is in charge of regulating wagering on sports. If India does ever create a regulated sports betting market, it would probably work in the same fashion that it does in the US, where each individual state creates its own sports betting laws. Horse racing is legal in India and is regulated by the Turf Authority of India. Since there are no laws outright banning sports betting, International online sportsbooks are able to operate within India. For now, that will be the only regulated sports betting market in the country unless their federal government creates sports betting laws.

How Is Indian Sports Betting Taxed?

Due to the fact that sportsbooks and sports betting are in an unregulated market, there is no real tax rate in India. Each state determines how sports betting is taxed and regulated and where the money goes. Like we have said before, there are no overarching federal regulations in India but that is only related to betting at sportsbooks. Sports betting is active in India through horse races and these racebooks are regulated by India.

Racebooks are taxed at a rate of 28% on the betting handle. This astronomical rate may be crippling the industry but it also allows the governments in India to use this money for many programs. The money can go into creating clean water supplies, more sustainable infrastructure, funding sports programs, education, and whatever else the government feels needs funding. We believe that India’s government is heading in the right direction and sports betting in India will become widely available in the next few years.

What Are The Best Betting Sites In India?
Betting

Sports betting is available in certain states within India, but it does not have countrywide availability. That is why instead of going to illicit bookies, many people in India decide that using online offshore sportsbooks are a much safer alternative. And they are right. There are plenty of online offshore sportsbooks that are safe to use in India. SportsBetting and BetOnline are two of the best and safest online offshore sportsbooks that Indian sports bettors can use. These two online sportsbooks have been around for the better part of a decade and they have odds and lines on cricket, rugby, soccer, tennis, and much more.

Which Banking Methods Are Accepted At India Sportsbooks?

When you are betting on sports in India, you should know that you have a lot of different banking options that are available to you. For example, Visa and Mastercard’s allow you to deposit anywhere between $10 to $30,000 in online sportsbooks. MasterCard Maestro has the same deposit rates and is available as well. Neteller, Skrill, Skrill OneTap, PaySafeCard, and so much more is available at Indian sportsbooks. The rates vary, but you can donate between $10 to $50,000 using these methods. If you are using online offshore sportsbooks such as BetOnline and SportsBetting, you can use cryptocurrencies as well. As you can see, there are plenty of ways you can get money in and out of your sportsbook account in India.

What Does The Future Of Sports Betting Look Like In India?

India sports betting can potentially have a bright future. Although it is unregulated, over $60 billion is wagered on sports within the country. Most of the money wagered in online offshore sportsbooks. If the Indian government wants to collect more tax revenue, implementing sportsbooks could make that happen easily. It seems like Indian sports betting is heading in a favorable direction. Some states in India already have some form of sports betting happening. It is only a matter of time before the federal government in India formally allows sports betting and it becomes available all over the country.

Can I Use Promo Codes In India?
Is online betting legal in indiana

Even though sites like SportsBetting and BetOnline allow bettors from India to place their bets, you actually cannot use promo codes. With in the terms of service, these sites explicitly say that Indian sports bettors cannot use the promotions that the sites have. That means no welcome bonuses or reload bonuses for Indian sports bettors. The reason for this is unclear, but that does not mean that you cannot use the sites. As we have already said, Indian sports bettors are free to use SportsBetting or BetOnline and they are two of the best online offshore sportsbooks even without the use of promo codes.

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