How Is Online Gambling Being Regulated in India?
The rules and regulations surrounding online gambling in India are stringent. However, the legislation has been relaxed somewhat in recent years. Find out more. There are more than 560 million internet users in India, meaning it has the second largest population of internet-literate people in the world. With there being such a huge number of internet users, inevitably… Read More »
The rules and regulations surrounding online gambling in India are stringent. However, the legislation has been relaxed somewhat in recent years. Find out more.
There are more than 560 million internet users in India, meaning it has the second largest population of internet-literate people in the world. With there being such a huge number of internet users, inevitably this has given rise to online gambling in the country. To prevent clandestine gambling, the Indian government has introduced robust rules and regulations to the market.
These measures are quite stringent, making it difficult for people who want to legally participate in online gambling to know what is okay and what is not. Therefore, we have written this article today to clear up a couple of things. If you are interested in how online gambling is being regulated in India, then you should read on to find out more.
Fully Legalised Activities
The lottery is one of the only forms of online gambling in India that is completely legal. As such, policies around online lotteries are relatively relaxed. Players throughout India can place their bets on the internet and hope they are lucky enough to win the big jackpot. Horse race betting is also fully legalised in the country, though things get slightly iffy when it comes to online gambling.
Of course, Indian gamblers are allowed to wager money on local races when they are present at the tracks. However, if they want to bet on international horse racing, then they must use offshore casino providers who cover these oversea events. As restrictions around lotteries and horse race betting are less stringent, these activities are popular in the country.
Partially Legalised Activities
It is currently illegal for anyone to promote online casinos, sports betting and bingo in India. Businesses are also not allowed to set up platforms for online gambling in the country. However, the government does allow players to use websites from providers outside the borders of India. These are more commonly known as offshore casinos. It is completely legal for Indian internet users to access these iGaming websites and then use them for online gambling purposes. Offshore casinos are also allowed to target Indian customers, so long as they accept Indian rupees. Resultantly, residents of the country are allowed to participate in online sports betting and bingo.
Other gambling activities are permitted in these contexts as well. For example, the popular card game Andar Bahar is allowed in some virtual gambling establishments. We recommend learning more about this on portals such as andarbaharindia.com for clarity.
The Future of Indian iGaming
As the demand for online gambling in India continues to increase, it looks as though the country’s regulated market will expand. So far, the iGaming industry has generated a lot of interest from outsiders, such as William Hill and Ladbrokes. These big brands are currently trying to obtain licences to operate in the state of Sikkim. Many people are hoping that the rest of India will follow suit with Sikkim and relax the rules around online gambling.
Currently, online gambling in India is still heavily regulated. Customers can participate in the online lottery and horse race betting, but they can only visit online casinos and bookmakers from offshore companies.
