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.
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.
