On this page, we will explain the legal situation of online betting sites in India and also recommend the safest betting sites to use.
Written by:
Last Updated:
Aug 14, 2024
Are there any Legal Betting Sites in India?
Legal Disclaimer
Vaayu Saxena
Please Note: We are not lawyers or legal experts.
All the information in this guide has been compiled through careful research using public sources. We have made all endeavors to only provide the most accurate information.
However, if you seek binding legal advice, we recommend that you contact a licensed legal practitioner.
If you have ever considered using betting sites in India, you must have also wondered about the legal implications of such an action. Maybe your friends or family have warned you about the legal trouble that you can land yourself into by using betting sites.
But is online betting really illegal?
Through this carefully researched page, we seek to answer that exact question – is online betting legal in India?
Online betting is not strictly illegal in India – this is because no central Indian law has prohibited the use of online betting sites.
Due to this legal loophole, most Indians can safely bet using betting sites without any legal complications.
Top 15 Safe Betting Sites in India
What’s in the List? (Click to Read) 👆
In this list, you will find the top 15 betting sites that are based outside India, and thus, lie outside the purview of Indian law. These sites are not strictly prohibited and, therefore, can be used safely.
In order to check that these betting sites can be considered safe, we check that each operator is registered and licensed by reputable gambling authorities, such as Curacao eGaming, Antillephone N.V., and E-gaming Montenegro, to name a few. These gambling authorities make sure that the operators do not scam their users and follow the gambling laws of the country in which they are registered.
Additionally, we have manually tested and reviewed each of these betting sites to make sure that you have the safest experience.
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Curacao eGaming
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Antillephone N.V.
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Antillephone N.V.
Review SIGN UP Go to Bettilt
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E-gaming Montenegro
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Antillephone N.V.
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Too many choices? How about you pick just one?
If you’re just looking for one betting site that is safe, reliable and has a little bit of everything, then we have the right pick for you. Check it out below!
Best Betting Site in India
Legal Betting Sites in India?
Here at My Betting Sites India, our goal is to make sure that when you bet online, you only use trustworthy betting sites that are not illegal. In an industry such as online betting in India, it is very easy to fall prey to unreliable and fraudulent betting sites, so we thought that we’d take this opportunity to check, review, and rank all the safe betting sites in India.
So let’s take a look at the betting sites that you can use safely!
Top 10 Betting Sites that are not Illegal in India
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⚖️ Is Online Betting in India Legal?
In a simple answer, online betting is NOT illegal in India. This is due to one simple reason: there are no formal laws or constitutional acts in India that forbid people from placing bets online. That means that Indian citizens can freely make use of betting sites that are operated by offshore companies.
Please Note: Local sites are not permitted to run online betting operations, but Indian players can use off-shore online betting sites as long as they accept Indian rupees.
There are no official regulatory bodies in India, but a lot of these foreign sites are regulated in other jurisdictions by trusted global bodies like the Malta Gaming Authority, the United Kingdom Gambling Commission, and Curacao eGaming. Most betting sites typically include their regulatory body at the bottom of their page, so make sure you confirm the site’s authenticity before signing up.
Remember to only bet on sites that are regulated by one of these reputed bodies.
While online betting is a fun and safe activity to pursue, we don’t want you to get your money tied up in the wrong hands!
Betting Sites that can be used by Indians must.
Vaayu Saxena
👉 Be based outside the country.
Since the Indian gambling laws do not allow sports betting companies or betting sites in India to be operated from the country, the only betting sites that can be used are the ones based outside. Off-shore betting sites are not prohibited in India, and that’s why are the chosen way to bet online in India.
👉 Accept Indian Rupees.
Every betting site in India must also adhere to the rules of the Foreign Exchange Management Act or FEMA, which prohibits any unauthorized parties from converting Indian currency into foreign currency. This can be avoided if the betting site accepts Indian rupees. Therefore, only betting sites in India that accept Indian rupees can be used safely.
Thankfully, the best betting sites in India meet all these requirements!
Gambling Laws in India
Before we can truly understand the legality of betting sites in India, it is important to look at the existing gambling laws in India. These are the laws that govern any gambling activities in the country and sets the guidelines for what is considered legal and what is considered an offense.
What are the existing Gambling Laws in India?
As of yet, there are no country-wide laws adopted by India when it comes to betting and gambling. When the Constitution of India was drafted, betting and gambling were concerns that were put into the State List, allowing every state to take their own call on the legalization and regulation of betting and gambling.
However, most states follow the principles of the Public Gambling Act of 1867, albeit with a few amendments. Under the Public Gambling Act, gambling is an offence only when it takes place in a common gaming house or a public place. Since this law was written before the creation of the Internet, it does not mention online gambling of any kind. This means that online betting sites exist in a kind of legal grey area. Due to this loophole, Indians can use off-shore betting sites to bet safely.
But be sure to stay away from physical gambling houses. Gambling in public gambling houses is considered illegal in most Indian states and is counted as a criminal offence. In such a case, a person may get arrested, fined, and even imprisoned for up to three months!
Here at My Betting Sites India, we only recommend licensed and regulated Indian betting sites!
Online Betting in India – Chance vs Skill
The gambling laws in India have divided betting activities into two major types:
- Games of Chance
- Games of Skill
So what are these two types of gambling? Let’s take a deeper look into them!
🎲 Games of Chance!
In India, betting on games of chance is largely considered illegal, barring a few states like Sikkim and Goa.
So what exactly are games of chance?
Games of chance refer to betting on an outcome that the player has no control over. Let us explain that with an example.
Say you are at a casino and would like to play on a Slot machine. You take your seat, put in your bet, and start playing. However, the outcome of your bet is purely based on your luck! No amount of skill or knowledge on your part can help you win your wager on a Slot machine or similar games such as Roulette.
In a game of chance, only luck decides whether you win or you lose!
As per Indian law, most states consider games of chance to be illegal, and thus, there are no physical casinos in India. However, Indian law does not expressly forbid online casinos!
♣️ Games of Skill
On the other hand, betting on games of skill has started to be legalized and accepted in India. In a landmark judgment in 1996, the Supreme Court of India ruled that horse racing was a game of skill and, thus, considered legal in India.
So what are games of skill?
Games of skill refer to betting on games where your chances of winning can be made better if you gain more knowledge and skill on the subject matter. We will again help you understand with the use of an example.
Say you want to bet on horse racing. If you are a novice who has no idea about the game, you are less likely to win your wager as opposed to an experienced punter who knows what he is doing. The experienced punter may study the conditions of the horse and the form of the rider in order to make a calculated choice and wager his money based on skilful deduction.
Card games such as Rummy and Teen Patti are also considered games of skill!
As of now, sports betting has not been recognized as a game of skill in India. However, there have been more and more states that have now started contemplating legalizing sports betting as an experienced punter who knows a lot about a particular sport can dramatically increase their chances of winning a wager.
Therefore, we hope that sports betting can soon be recognized as a game of skill.
The Future of Online Betting in India
Even without formal laws that regulate online betting sites in India, the Indian betting industry is estimated to be worth $60 billion! And it is all thanks to the Indian passion for wagering on fun card games as well as our undying passion for sports such as cricket!
So what does the future of online betting in India look like?
Will online betting in India be formally legalized and regulated?
Yes, that is a very real possibility in the future.
Many Indian states have already begun contemplating legalizing and regulating online betting sites in India. This step may be taken by other states in the future as well.
There might even be central or federal laws that may legalize and regulate online betting sites all over India. Doing so will help the government to make a lot of profit by licensing betting sites and having them pay the required GST that any other business would need to.
The regulation will also allow even more betting sites to crop up in India, giving punters even more choices! More competition means better bonuses, which leads to better rewards!
Thus, there is an immediate need for the Indian government to formally legalize online betting.
Here’s hoping that we will soon have more formal laws about online betting in India!
Until then, check out our top recommendation for the best betting site in India!
Recommended – Best Betting Site in India!
Parimatch
One of the most trusted Indian betting sites!
Parimatch has one of the largest sportsbooks in the world, offering over 1000 sporting events daily. The site covers a variety of sports, including cricket, football, tennis, and kabaddi, all loaded with numerous betting options. The casino section of Parimatch is also packed, just in case you want to try something outside sports betting.
The site has a Curacao license and protects our details using 128-bit SSL software. Parimatch also uses RNGs or random number generators to make sure that all the outcomes of virtual games are random and fully fair to the players.
With the wide range of betting options available on Parimatch, there is never a dull moment on the site!
The site meets the legal criteria of allowing transactions in Rupees while it offers an impressive range of deposit methods. Popular options like UPI, Netbanking, Neteller, Skrill, MuchBettter, and Credit and Debit Cards are all available.
The betting experience is enhanced by its robust live betting and cash-out functions, while the site also live streams some selected events. The welcome bonus for new customers is very generous, and you will also get to benefit from other regular promotions that spice up your betting experience!
Are you interested in having a share of all these goodies? You are just a click away!