Leovegas: Leovegas Is not a very old platform because it has been in business since 2012. However, it is not relatively new either. Getting the “Brand of the Year” award in 2018 and the title “Casino Operator of the Year,” it is definitely a great choice for any online gambler out there. The site offers a welcome bonus that can go up to Rs.80, 000. They also have second and third deposit bonuses, live casino bonus, football and cricket bonuses, etc. The customer support team and the FAQ section of their website help you in any trouble when you are playing casino games or betting on different sports. Overall, it is one of the best choices for Indian players.

Betway: With up to Rs.60, 000 bonus on live casino, Betway has become one of the most used platforms for sports betting in India. They have a welcome bonus, deposit bonus, loyalty programs, and free spins that can make you engaged and help to win more. There are VIP levels where you can win massive amounts of money by sticking with Betway. Lost Vegas, Avalon 2, Immortal Romance, Mega Moolah, etc. are some of the favorites in Betway amongst its 500 different games.

Bet365: Bet365 is actually the world’s one of the best online sportsbooks. It is also an old platform that has been around since 2000 and currently has more than 100 million users worldwide. The welcome bonus is not as high as other sites. Bet365 only offers up to Rs.5, 000 welcome bonus, and the minimum deposit has to be Rs.350. They have live casino games, sportsbooks for cricket, football, hockey, tennis, basketball, rugby, baseball, etc.

According to the Public Gambling Act of 1867, gambling was initially banned in India during the colonial period. This law states that a person who is enjoying the public gambling facility and an individual or a company that is providing gambling services on a federal level would be considered to commit an illegal. Online Gambling in India. The Public Gaming Act made it illegal to operate a venue where gambling took place. It also made it illegal to visit such a venue. While this is clear enough, there’s no precise definition of gambling within the act which makes it hard to determine, for example, whether betting on a game of cricket is illegal online. Another form of legal gambling in India is the lottery. The Lotteries Regulation Act of 1998 gave each state the right to authorize lotteries if they choose to. There are some rules, including a once-per-week limit for draw games. Horse race betting and lotteries are the only two legal forms of gambling in India. Gambling Legal or Illegal in India The casinos or gambling is illegal in India at large. A lot of Indian illegal gaming depends on sports gambling. A lot of money is wagered illegally on. The reason most Indians believe that gambling is illegal in India is because you will not find any casinos or gambling houses in the country with the exception of three states. Goa, Sikkim and Daman are the three states in India to have a legalized casino industry.

10Cric: Popular for its extensive collection of sports betting games, 10Cric is a top-rated site amongst the cricket bettors of India. They offer a welcome bonus up to Rs.20, 000 and also provide free bets with your first, second and third deposit amount. They also give users a welcome bonus to their live casino. Slots, poker, sportsbook, live casino – each of them has a big collection of games loved by many people.

Betfair: One of the largest betting exchange platforms in the world, Betfair, was founded back in 2000. It is quite famous for cricket betting, and that is why it was the best betting site in the UK in 2012. They have in-play betting, matched bets, and different types of games and bets to choose from. Unfortunately, Betfair does not accept Rupees, but they allow third party methods and even Western Union.

Laws

Indian law prohibits physical gambling, but there are no laws that make online betting illegal activity. However, making sportsbooks is banned in India. It means that if a gambling site is situated in India, it will not be legal for use. To make it more specific, the Public Gambling Act 1867 prohibits any gambling activity in India. But India does not have the Internet Gambling Prohibition Act like the USA. As a result, online gambling is not considered as an illegal activity in India.

FAQ

How can I bet online in India?

Firstly, you have to choose a suitable betting site that has proper certification and regulation. You can select any of the platforms that we have recommended. You need to make an account and deposit an amount to a specific platform to start betting. You need to be above 18 to be eligible for creating an account on an online betting site.

How do I claim my deposit bonus?

If you are using a certain betting site, you need to check if the platform provides a deposit bonus. An online betting site may give specific bonuses on the first deposit, and they may give a particular limit for the reward. Also, to withdraw the bonus amount, you need to wager it multiple times.

How to withdraw from my betting account?

A site has different withdrawal methods. You can use a debit card for withdrawal and also third-party wallets like PayPal, Skrill, Payoneer, etc. can be used for fast withdrawal. Bank withdrawal is also available from many sites. Some websites even allow you to withdraw from Western Union.

The legality of betting and gambling has been a subject of extensive debate over the course of many years. Although in India playing of cards and rolling of dice has been in existence since time immemorial, yet, one often comes across the debates on gambling on both legal and ethical fronts. While one section seeks to legalize gambling because of the revenue it might generate for the government, the other section has been reluctant to do so owing to issues like corruption and money laundering that might germinate from it.
While the Law Commission of India, in 2018, in its report on Legalizing of Betting and Gambling in Sports recommended for regulating the gambling industry, no substantial progress has been made in this direction. The commission opined that the inability of the state to completely ban the betting and gambling has lead to corruption in sports which could be resolved if the industry is adequately regulated. This would also lead to generation of revenue to the government.

The Law Commission rightly noted that the ban is not absolute and the industry is highly unregulated. This observation stems from the fact that India has legislations relating to regulation of gambling both at central and state level, which adds to the already existing conundrum. Additionally, the legislations in place often pre-date technological advances and therefore fail to address the recent emergence of online gambling.

The legislation in place, the Public Gaming Act of 1867, is a federal legislation which outlaws the operation or being the person in-charge of a public gaming house. It states that it is illegal to operate a public gaming house and also prohibits people from visiting gambling houses. The contravention of this law attracts a fine of Rupees 200 or imprisonment upto 3 months. However, the Act is archaic and does not specifically address the aspect of online gambling. The Act itself predates the recent advancements in technology and fails to address online gambling. Due to this fact, millions of people in India indulge in online gambling on sports and casinos.

Another legislation, the Information Technology Act, 2000 regulates cyber activities in India but does not address legality of gambling or betting. The Act does not specifically address online gaming or gambling thereby making no impact on legal position of online gambling.

Why Gambling Is Illegal

Further Entry No.34 of List II of the Constitution of India, 1950 empowers the states to make laws on betting and gambling. Due to this entry, many states in India have their own legislations dealing with gambling and are subject to different interpretations. For example, Bombay Wager Act bans online gambling in the state of Maharashtra and Delhi Public Gambling Act, 1955 bans gambling in the union territory of Delhi but makes an exception for ‘game of skill’. However, the states of Goa and Sikkim are the only states that have legalized gambling with appropriate licensing requirements and at restricted places. The Goa Gambling Act, 1976 allows playing of cards at off-shore vessel. Sikkim is the only state to have a law on online gaming which is the Sikkim Online Gaming (Regulation) Act, 2008. The Act however was later amended to restrict online gaming activities to physical gaming parlours in Sikkim through the internet.

Why Is Gambling Illegal

In recent past, we have seen mushrooming of online gambling games such as Rummy, Casino etc. where millions of people rush to test their fate. Since, the law does not adequately address the legality of online gambling, this remains a grey area which requires intervention on part of either legislature or judiciary. While in several Supreme Court decisions Rummy has not been held to be gambling, the clarity is still required when it comes to online casinos.

Why Gambling Is Illegal In India Right Now

Rummy has been held to be a game of skill similar to horse racing and is therefore legal in India. However, games like Casinos are a game of chance involving high monetary stakes which amounts to gambling as per Public Gaming Act of 1867. This inference is not difficult to draw as the issue that courts consider while deciding on gambling is whether a particular game is a ‘game of skill’ or a ‘game of chance’. Because of this uncertainty there is no organization that operates the online casino in India. So whether online Casinos are legal in India is the question that has a negative answer. However, indulging in online Casino games would not be considered to be illegal if the site is outside the jurisdiction of India. Due to the fact that the laws of India are not applicable to an overseas organization or gaming site, we continue to see an upsurge in the number of people engaging in this activity. Perhaps, the time is ripe for the Indian legislature and judiciary to end this conundrum and regulate the laws relating to online gambling.