Can you legally play online casinos in India? Casino Laws in India Explained

Many Indians like the idea of ​​gambling. That is very clear. And these days, with the advent of online casinos, games like roulette and blackjack and poker are just a click away. But before you dive in and place your bets, you need to know if it's safe and legal to do so. So let's look at the question “Is online casino legal in India?”

Are online casino games legal in India?

It would be nice and simple to say “Yes, it's legal”. Or “No, it's illegal” and get an answer to this question in no time. But unfortunately, it's not as easy as that. Not when we are talking about online gambling in India. Rather, this is a genuine “gray zone” of the legal system, which causes all kinds of confusion among the local population.

So how does it work? India uses a regional system for this matter. In other words, each state makes its own laws for online casino gaming. So there is no single unifying federal/national ruling on this issue. And that means that depending on where you are in Indian territory, you may have completely different rules to follow than someone in a neighboring country.

So the average Indian cannot just assume that it is legal or illegal to play online casinos, as 1 Win Casino. Instead, they should find out the situation in their part of the country. Some aspiring gamblers will get lucky and live in an area where online poker and other games are good to play. Others will be less fortunate, barred from these gaming experiences entirely.

How online casino laws vary by state

gambling growing bigger since ever. And many Indians would love to play games like roulette and slots. But not everyone can. Here's how the rules differ:

• Andhra Pradesh: Illegal (under Andhra Pradesh Gaming Act 1974)
• Arunachal Pradesh: Unclear
• Assam: Illegal (under the Assam Gaming and Betting Act 1970)
• Bihar: Unclear
• Chhattisgarh: Unclear
• Goa: Legal but with some regulations
• Gujarat: Illegal (under Gujarat Prevention of Gambling Act 1887)
• Haryana: Unclear
• Himachal Pradesh: Unclear
• Jharkhand: Unclear
• Karnataka: Illegal (Under Karnataka Police Act 1963)
• Kerala: Illegal (under Kerala Gaming Act 1960)
• Madhya Pradesh: Unclear
• Maharashtra: Illegal (under Bombay Betting Act 1867)
• Manipur: Unclear
• Meghalaya: Legal, with some regulations
• Mizoram: Unclear
• Nagaland: Legal but only for skill based games
• Odisha: Illegal (under Odisha Prevention of Gambling Act 1955)
• Punjab: Unclear
• Rajasthan: Unclear
• Sikkim: Legal but with regulations
• Tamil Nadu: Illegal (under the Tamil Nadu Gaming Act 1930)
• Telangana: Illegal (as per Telangana State Gaming Act)
• Tripura: Unclear
• Uttar Pradesh: Unclear
• Uttarakhand: Unclear
• West Bengal: Legal but only for games of skill

Just remember, these are only the latest legal rulings at the time of writing. States regularly review online casino rules and may introduce new ones without much delay. Therefore, you must stay up to date with the latest developments, wherever you are, to avoid facing any new and unexpected restrictions.

More important things to know about online casino legality in India

Here are some more key points on the subject of legal online casino in India:

The Public Act of 1867

At the federal level, much of the discussion surrounding the legality of online casinos is based on a fairly old act, the Public Gambling Act (1867). This states that it is illegal to operate or run a public gambling house, but since this was long before the days of internet and casino apps, it does not have much impact in terms of online gambling.

Skill and chance

Many states distinguish between games that are based solely on luck and those that involve skill. You could say, for example, poker is a a skill-based gamebecause the player has a level of control over the outcome and can use tactics and strategies to influence the game. But many slots are based on luck alone.

Casinos from other countries

There are many online casinos that are managed and operated from other countries. Controlling them (and who is allowed to play in them) is much more difficult compared to regulating the casinos in your country. So it's another “grey area” as to whether you're allowed to play at casinos that operate from other countries, like the US or parts of Europe.

Online Gambling in India: a legal minefield

All in all, the situation is quite unclear for online gambling in India. More regulation is needed to simply bring clarity to this concept and let people know what they can and cannot do safely if they want to play and gamble online. Meanwhile, if you are in India and are eager to gambling onlinecheck your state's laws first.