In a densely-populous country, it’s no surprise for gambling to thrive. Such is true in India where various gambling forms like a casino, poker, and sports and horse race betting thrive. However, despite how popular these various types of gambling are in India, gambling is not entirely legal in the country. Sure, there are some exceptions, but clearly-defined laws to regulate gambling are almost nonexistent especially the online type.
India’s primary gambling legislation is the ancient Public Gaming Act of 1867. The Act deemed operating and visiting a place for gambling illegal. India also differentiates gambling as by chance or by skills. Any form of gambling that falls under the by skills type is legal, and those deemed by chance are prohibited. It sounds simple, but it’s not, as the government also made exceptions with the lottery, which is a game chance.
Further complicating the matter is the government giving the states the power to make their own gambling laws. So, to ease your perplexity regarding this, we made this article for you. After reading this, we hope that you find out if it’s legal to gamble in your area and where you should go if you like to try your luck online.
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Gambling Laws By State
If you’re not aware of what state in India has betting and casino laws, we’ve prepared this section for you. Let’s look at some regions in India with betting and casino rules and which ones don’t have any.
Andhra Pradesh
The Andhra Pradesh Gaming Act of 1974 declared most types of gambling within the state as illegal. However, it allows the operation of a state-run lottery, rummy, and horse racing. In fact, you can find a racecourse in the state’s capital, Hyderabad — the Hyderabad Race Club. Interestingly, Hyderabad is also the official capital of Telangana. The said state also has a gambling law in place — the Telangana Gaming Act of 1974.
Goa
Goa is the first region in India to give a casino license. This is a renowned gambling-friendly place in India with casino boats and land-based casinos present within the region. The casino boats house some table games that are illegal on land-based casinos. Furthermore, not anyone can set up a casino, as Goa allows only Five-Star Hotels and offshore vessels to have casinos. The gambling activity in the region is controlled by the Goa, Daman, and Diu Public Gambling Act of 1976.
Though the casino industry is booming in this region, it doesn’t cater much to locals. Moreover, starting in February 2020, the government prohibits locals from gambling in the state’s casinos. Other forms of gambling, like sports betting, do not enjoy the same fame as the casinos in Goa. However, it is not unlawful to bet on horse racing as per the country’s Supreme Court ruling.
Karnataka
Karnataka boasts of two racecourses — the Bangalore Racecourse and the Mysore Racecourse. This makes it evident that horse racing is the most popular form of gambling in the region. Horse racing has been legal in the state since 1970 despite the local government’s attempt to get rid of it. The local government is quite adamant against gambling in its jurisdiction. State leaders have been trying to limit or totally ban lotteries and other betting activities since 2007. However, no solid law has been passed to ban all forms of gambling within the state yet.
Maharashtra
Only horse betting and lottery are legal within the region of Maharashtra. Residents can go to either Pune Racecourse or Mumbai/Mahalaxmi Racecourse to bet on horse racing. As for lotteries, the state authorized Playwin to operate in the region. The state government took legal actions against smaller districts that attempted to run lotteries of their own. Concerning online gambling, the Bombay Wager Act declared it illegal for anyone within the state to offer online horse betting. Attempts of anyone to legalize such activity within the region have been futile.
Sikkim
The state of Sikkim runs Playwin, which is the most famous lottery game in the country. It likewise allows operation of land-based casinos within the state. So, you can tell that Sikkim has a more liberal view about gambling like Goa. In fact, it is the first region in India that began accepting license applications from casino sites.
Tamil Nadu
With two racecourses to boast (Madras Racecourse and Ooty Racecourse), horse race betting is prevalent in the region. However, Tamil Nadu remains strict with other forms of gambling. The state is governed by two main gambling laws, the Madras City Police Act, 1888 and Tamil Nadu Gaming Act, 1930.
The two ordinances both declared other forms of gambling in gaming houses and public places illegal. Anyone proven guilty will face imprisonment of up to 1 month. There is also a violation fine of up to Rs. 500 for the Tamil Nadu Gaming Act and Rs. 200 for the City Police Act.
Uttar Pradesh
The state government declared all forms of gambling illegal within the region. Nevertheless, gambling all over the land is widespread, especially Cricket betting. For the most part, the region follows the Public Gambling Act, 1867 and its amended 1976 version. It does not craft a gambling law of its own. Thus, horse race betting is allowed as per the Supreme Court of India’s ruling.
Despite Uttar Pradesh’s take on gambling, the state leaders have shown interest in legalizing casinos within the region. However, no solid law has been passed yet.
West Bengal
Horse racing and lottery remain the most popular game in the region. Although gambling is illegal in West Bengal, the state does exempt other games from the restrictions. Gambling in the state is guided by the West Bengal Gambling & Prize Competition Act, 1957. The act exempt card games, cricket, rummy, bridge, and poker, to name a few.
Online Gambling in India
The government discourages its people from online gambling, especially on offshore sites. However, just like local gambling, each region has the power to decide on the matter. Thus, the subject of online gambling in large parts of the country remains unclear. Further complicating it is each region’s differing views on the matter.
In December 2020, the Legislative Assembly passed the Andhra Pradesh Gaming Amendment Bill-2020. The amended gaming law bans all forms of online gambling within the state. The law further states that online gambling is punishable by imprisonment and is a non-bailable offence.
No other state has followed Andhra Pradesh’s footprint of prohibiting online gambling. As such, it’s safe to say that it’s fair play for the most part of the country. It’s not exactly legal, but no strict law prohibits the people from placing bets in offshore casinos.
If you’re afraid of violating the hazy rules of India with regard to a casino operating online, then go to Sikkim. As we’ve mentioned above, Sikkim is the first-ever region in India that has taken steps in making online betting legal.
Conclusion
India has been the subject of more betting and casino news websites and channels because many offshore casinos target the Indian market now. Whether India softens up to these online casinos and bookies remains to be seen. The future is bright as regions like Sikkim now starts to welcome foreign gambling operators in its state. If more states follow through, then Indian online gambling enthusiasts will soon need not worry about legality.
Not From India?:
Refereneces:
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyderabad_Race_Club
- https://www.theleaflet.in/andhras-gaming-law-a-setback-to-liberty-and-human-agency/
- https://www.indiacode.nic.in/bitstream/123456789/8643/1/act_27_of_1974.pdf
- https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/andhra-pradesh/house-adopts-amendment-to-ap-gaming-act/article33225233.ece
