There are hundreds of sportsbooks and bookmakers providing services to specific countries, operating globally online or off-shore to markets where gambling is restricted. Regardless of the situation, people should always secure their deals with trustworthy bookmakers, whose sports betting websites are legitimate.
India is a country that is very fond of sports betting. It has limited legal options, and it is very likely that as time goes on, further statutory regulations surrounding gambling will be set, thus turning gambling into a serious government revenue generator. Therefore, is online betting legal in India? At present the only forms of legal gambling in India are the horse racing and the lotteries. All other types of betting are officially considered illegal.
Bettors from India should know that many online bookmakers offer legal betting in India and that are willing to accept deposits in rupees. Before placing a bet, however, the bettor has to make sure there is a possibility for withdrawing the winnings in a natural way. Cricket is the primary sport that is being bet on in India, followed by the major international football competitions and basketball leagues, as well as the horse racing.
There are millions of Indians that gamble using offshore companies, which are licensed and located in other countries. These people have faced no sanctions from the Indian authorities yet. This article will present you with an overview of the available gambling options, the existing laws, the most popular sports to bet on and the history of the sports betting.
The question on the legal betting in India is not entirely clear. India does not have many regulated gambling options. That is why there are not many companies that are based in the country. However, that is expected to change as the country is becoming more accustomed to the process and is legalizing now many forms of betting. Since 2019 there are two gambling companies which are operating from India.
The name of the first company is Delta Corp, and it is the only officially listed company for legal betting in India. This company holds licenses for three offshore casinos in Goa and one for a land-based casino. Besides, the company has a casino in Sikkim and is waiting for a permit for a casino in Daman. Since legal betting in India is still tricky, the company has won this in the state’s courts. The same company also owns Advani Pleasure Cruise Co, which operates the famous Casino Goa.
The name of the second company for legal betting in India is Pride Group. That is a privately owned casino company which has several casinos in the area of Goa. The difference between the two is that Delta is popular among the tourists and has serious entry fees for the locals, while Pride Group is more focused on the Indian market and has regular entry fees. The game selection of the casino is also focused on the local bettors.
The online betting sites have mobile betting available in the form of a betting app or through the mobile version of the site itself. It is estimated that more than 70 % of all wagers are now placed from a mobile device, and the figure is expected to grow. In general, the mobile betting sites have the same options as the desktop sites, yet sometimes the deposit and the withdrawal options can be limited to the smaller mobile devices. All sites have useful information on mobile sports betting with bits of advice and reviews.
As of 2019 many great betting sites are operating offshore, which are accepting clients from India and deposits in rupees. The top three recommended legal betting sites in India are Betway, Dafabet and Bet 365; however, there are many others which are good as well. So, let us dive into these three legal betting sites in India:
Betway is among the most popular gambling companies in Europe, with a strong presence in India. It provides various betting options, including large cricket markets, as well as numerous international sports.
Dafabet is a betting company with a focus on Asia, which has an excellent reputation among the bettors in India and which accepts deposits in Indian rupees. The website of the company supports many languages, offers various betting options, as well as slot games and live casinos.
Bet365 is believed to be the most well-known betting brand and the biggest bookmaker in the world, with a severe presence in India. This legal betting site has an impressive choice of cricket betting options, covering all cricket betting options and all the T20 international matches are included. It also offers all international sports betting and an excellent live streaming selection.
The states govern gambling in India. These states are in charge of regulating the gambling and have to state should betting be legalized in India. The Central provinces, Delhi and East Punjab, do not allow the public gaming houses. Several federal laws should be abided by the 29 Indian states. Thus, let us check these betting laws in India:
The Public Gaming Act of 1867, which states that it is illegal to operate a public gaming house. There are fine and imprisonment for up to three months.
Entry No.34 of List II of the Constitution of India, which allows the states in India to set their laws which surround betting. That law is expected to be amended to enable the states to regulate online gambling.
Information Technology Act 2000 is a legislation that covers many aspects of the online betting plus information that can corrupt people. The act includes provisions that are surrounding online gambling and the top penalties for providing this service in India. As a result of this, many states in India have brought in legislation that surrounds gambling. There are three states in India, namely Sikkim, Daman and Goa, which have laws that allow casinos and these casinos are operating with considerable growth.
In the middle of 2018, the Law Commission has submitted a document explaining why should betting be legalized in India. The report discusses the running of a cash-less industry which is to be monitored closely. It also recommends allowing the states to license and to regulate the gambling themselves. The government is also to receive tax on the money that is spent by the Indians. Despite these recommendations, this legalizing is still not desirable at present.
Most of the sports betting sites will have separate and responsive mobile sites, that will show if the bettor is on a tablet or is using a mobile phone. The mobile versions of the websites are usually not as equipped as the desktop versions, especially the selection of bets and deposits, yet they have enough to keep the bettor satisfied. The question of whether online sports betting is legal in India seems not that relevant now as the bettors can use the legal forms of betting of the offshore betting sites.
The Indian bettors can use some gambling apps, most of them available to those that use Apple products. Android users have the option to use non-market apps or apps that can be downloaded from third-party sources. Users that are not using the two popular types of mobile devices will be restricted from using the mobile version of the chosen sites.
The bettors that are new to the online casinos and want to play from India should know that this is possible. But is online casino betting legal in India? There are no licensed operators in India; however, bettors from India can place their bets at offshore casinos licensed from other countries such as the UK. The most popular online casinos include:
Dafabet with its more than a thousand real money games and an excellent reputation among the players for understanding the betting market in India and for the possible fast payouts. This online casino features some games that are known only to the players from India.
Jeetwin is an online casino that is licensed in Curacao, which accepts only players from India. It features some seasonal games that target the market in India such as baccarat, blackjack and live Andar Bahar.
The game options of the online casinos are unlimited, which means that the bettor can play hundreds of different slots games and the live dealer in case the games are streamed with a video feed. In the coming years, it is expected that more online gaming companies will spend a lot of money while developing games with a focus on Indians, especially when the regulation is finally accepted. This means that there will be a vast diversity of games that Indians can bet on at the online casinos. Until that becomes a reality, many Indian will use web-based wallets such as Neteller when betting at offshore gambling websites.