The restrictions and regulations concerning gambling in casinos differ from country to country and state to state. It is important to get to know the laws before placing your bet. So, if you find yourself in India, here is what to know.
Casinos and gambling have always been connected with regulations and restrictions. As these vary it can be difficult to figure out what is legal and what is illegal in the field of gambling. India is no exception. The law of gambling in India is a bit confusing and even though it is largely illegal, it is still possible to gamble legally in India.
Regulations and restrictions on gambling in India
In India, they have The Public Gambling Act made in 1867 as the general law governing gambling across all states. But it is not that simple as the matter of gambling and casinos has been made a state subject, which means that every state in India can appeal to make their law on the matter. Therefore, the existence of casinos and the possibility of gambling venues vary from state to state. In their regulations, they differ between two types of gaming, and they have excluded the so-called ‘games of skill’ from the gambling and gaming activities in India. And the ‘games of chance’ are more welcomed in Indian gaming. But this decision has been criticized as it is debatable which games can be considered as of skill and which games completely revolve around luck.
Online gambling in India
When it comes to online gambling it is a complicated matter in India. As it is illegal to promote gambling online. However, if the casino is not Indian but a so-called offshore casino and if the casinos accept payment in rupees, then it is not prohibited. If you use an offshore casino site you have nothing to worry about, but if you use an Indian casino site then you can risk being punished by law. As long as you use offshore sites gambling is legal almost all across India. If you want to online gamble in India, you just need to make sure that the site you use is not Indian, so you can be sure to gamble safely. Be aware that as of January 2020 the states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh banned online gambling for Indians.
The actual casinos in India
Even though it is mainly illegal there are a few states where casinos have been legalized. Goa is one of the states that have legalized casinos as it enacted its own Public Gambling Act in 1976. The states of Goa, Daman, and Sikkim have operating casinos and allow gambling. Despite the many prohibitions, there are actually 10 cities with gambling facilities in India, and across these, there are 19 completely legal gambling facilities or casinos. So even though it can be confusing to figure out whether or not it is legal to gamble in India, it is not impossible to find a place to gamble in India without risking getting caught in something illegal. If you want to frequent a casino your safest bet is to visit the state of Goa.
