Online betting in India - Legality and Safety

Online betting has become popular recently worldwide and in India. However, the legal outcomes concerning this issue are slightly confusing. Due to the myriad of rules, regulations, and various perspectives, it is crucial to be aware of the legality of online gambling in India.

We have provided this valid information to help you better understand the legality of online betting in India. Keep reading this article to learn about the safety and legal concerns involved in playing online gambling across the country.

Laws governing the online betting in India

The Public Gambling Act of 1867, which dates from the colonial era, measures most of the legalities of placing bets on sports events or casino games in India. This act also doesn’t allow someone to operate, visit, or even own a gambling house.

However, it does not prohibit online betting. It is pertinent to realize that India is a Federal country, and thus, the laws are not identical for the whole country but vary for the different states and union territories.

This variance contributes to the complex structure of the country's sports betting legal system. Surprisingly, there are no federal laws against online gambling in India, and Indian players have not been charged with the crime of online betting.

It is currently legal for non-Indian betting companies, such as offshore companies, to have websites or apps that target Indian players. The only legal condition is that legal offshore casinos must accept rupees from Indian users.

Online betting in India - A game of skill

The Supreme Court has considered skill games as “the competitions where success depends on substantial degree of skill or not gambling would nevertheless be a game of mere skill”.

It is also said that, presumably, playing rummy requires a certain amount of skill. It is not possible to memorize the fall of cards, and also because building up rummy requires a good deal of skill in holding and discarding cards.

Online sports like baseball, cricket, football, and kabaddi are considered games of skill, and users can bet on these events. Also, as an Indian bettor, you can bet online on sports and casino games on a legit bookmaker platform.

License and safety of online betting sites

You must pay special attention to the licensing and regulation of the online betting site you choose. Any site that is licensed has to follow certain rules and regulations that warrant the site to maintain a high level of fairness and transparency.

In addition, always check whether a site has a license issued by a credible regulatory agency. Some legitimate gaming organizations are the Malta Gaming Authority, Gibraltar Regulatory Authority, and Curacao Gaming Company among others.

In any form of betting, one must only use reputable sites that can be trusted to keep your funds and details safe. An honest site will give an equal and reliable chance to bet and save you from fraudulent activities.

To ascertain a site's reputation, you should look deep into customers’ feedback, secure payment options, terms and conditions, INR as currency, privacy policy, and an ‘About us’ page, etc.