India

Online sports betting in India - Legal almost nation-wide

The whole gambling industry has come a long way in India. Before the introduction of online sports betting, Indians could only enjoy in-person wagering on horse races and lottery games. Initially, horse racing was categorized as a skill game; hence, it was legal and regulated by state governments. After some time, the Indian government gradually began embracing the impact of sports betting, and they realized that the industry could raise revenues and contribute to the country's economic growth.

But even with all the embracing, the legality of sports gambling in the country is still debatable since the government has not yet implemented proper regulations. Therefore, the whole online sports betting market is in a sort of limbo. However, even though the ancient gambling laws in the country, such as the Public Gambling Act of 1867, declare almost all gambling illegal, these laws do not mention online wagering in any form.

Just to add some more confusion to the matter, different Indian states have their own sets of laws regarding gambling and betting. So, even though there are no federal laws to prohibit online gambling, some states, namely Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, have set up legislation to ban all online gambling from the locals.

But in a nutshell, even though the sports betting industry isn't yet adequately regulated in the country, there are many different online sportsbooks for Indians to choose from, just as long as you are not resident in a state that strictly prohibits such activity.

India's government has, however, taken some steps lately to improve the regulatory field of online gambling. In January 2023, the government introduced new regulations to govern online gambling, creating self-regulatory bodies to supervise the industry. However, despite this update, there's still a long way to go before India has clear-cut sports gambling legislation.

Sports betting legislation in India

As the Indian government has not adopted any licensing system regarding the online sports betting sector, the sportsbooks can not physically operate within the country's borders. However, the current IND gambling legislation, apart from the states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, doesn't prohibit offshore sportsbooks or gambling sites from accepting Indians as customers or Indians from placing wagers on such platforms.

Luckily for the Indians, multiple online sportsbooks operate with proper offshore licenses, such as those obtained from the Malta Gaming Authority or The Curaçao Gaming Control Board, which accept bets from India. As the current legislation doesn't restrict these offshore sportsbooks from offering specific betting markets, basically all forms of online sports betting are available for Indians, including eSports and fantasy sports.

Horse racing is also a major sport in India, and the first racecourse was established in the country all the way back in 1777. Therefore, it's no surprise that horse race betting is a very popular avenue of entertainment in India.

Recent updates from the Indian sports betting scene

• March 22, 2024: India's MIB Releases Advisory to Curb Online Betting Ads, citing concerns over potential negative impacts on consumers, especially the youth.

• November 6, 2023: Indian authorities, through the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), issue blocking orders against 22 illegal betting apps and websites. While specific details are not fully disclosed, MeitY confirms the inclusion of Mahadev Book and Reddyannaprestopro among the platforms facing blocking orders.

• October 27, 2023: Ritesh Kumar Singh, founder and CEO of Indonomics Consulting, warns of potential bankruptcies in India's betting and gambling sector due to increased taxes. He notes that companies in the sector have received notices for significant overdue amounts, with some being asked to pay ten times their annual revenue.

• October 2, 2023: Super Group, a major global online sports betting and gaming firm, decides to exit the Indian market due to new Goods and Services Tax amendments. According to the company, these tax changes, effective since October 1, have made their operations in India financially unviable.

• July 11, 2023: The Goods and Services Tax Council (GST) in India introduces a uniform 28% turnover tax for online gambling, casino activities, and horse race betting, regardless of the operator’s domicile. This tax will be levied on the total amount wagered instead of the gross gaming revenue (GGR), resulting in a turnover-based taxation system.

All legal gambling options in India - Vary state by state

Even though the federal laws have not explicitly forbid online casino gambling, only a handful of Indian states, namely Goa, Daman, and Sikkim, have properly legalized such activity. However, thus far, there are no reports of Indian players having faced prosecution for online gambling. Having said this, if you want to play it safe, you should only access online casinos and other Internet gambling platforms from the aforementioned Indian states.

Earlier, Indian gambling law controlled all physical casinos that offered sports bets such as horse racing and lotteries. Today, land-based and online casinos operate legally under the Public Gambling Act of 1976 in Sikkim, Goa, Nagaland, and Daman, all of which have incorporated more games and modern gaming techniques into their systems.

Online poker is permitted in India, as it is viewed more as a game of skill, like sports betting, than a game of change. In addition to this, a total of 13 Indian states offer legal lottery.

Other gambling-related news & stories from India

• January 4, 2024: In Port Blair, the capital of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in India, authorities arrest five individuals in a significant raid targeting illegal gambling operations.

• January 2, 2024: A recent study by Ken Research reveals that over 25% of online gamblers in India face significant challenges, such as identity theft and transaction issues. These difficulties include fraud, unauthorized transactions, and withdrawal complications attributed to India's diverse cultural and legal environment.

• August 25, 2023: In preparation for the upcoming Asia Cup and Men's ODI Cricket World Cup, India's Ministry of Information and Broadcasting issues a strict warning to media outlets, online ad agencies, and social media platforms against showcasing any advertisements or promotional content related to online gambling.

• January 5, 2023: The Indian government has introduced new regulations for online gambling, including establishing self-regulatory bodies. These rules define online games as those played with deposits and allow the government to designate specific games for regulation. Online games must comply with existing laws.