Gambling is one of the favorite pastimes of millions of players worldwide. It has been taking place for thousands of years now and has been prevalent in different locations like China, Persia, South Asia, and many more. Over the centuries, the gambling industry saw some massive transformations pave its evolution in this country.
From horse racing to online sports gambling, India’s gaming industry is on the ascent. The country has seen a substantial rise in the number of gambling games over the last few decades. The entire local gambling industry is worth around $1 billion.
According to expert reports, you can expect this value to raise over $112 billion in the upcoming four years. And so, these numbers are making the country an area of interest for many reputed gambling companies. Even investors from Europe and other countries are interested in investing their resources in India due to the rise of the online gambling industry.
Casino games like Andar Bahar, Rummy, and Teen Patti are trending in the online gambling market. One of the most prominent aspects of India’s current gamblers is that most belong to the youngest generation. Moreover, about 748 million people in this country use smart gadgets, which also led to the exponential growth of the gambling industry rapidly in the last few years.
But the one game that surpasses all must be the online sports gambling games. The nation’s immense love for Football and Cricket has led to the rise of these betting games in India. But, despite garnering such popularity among the players, there are still strict laws that govern the progress of the online gambling industry in this country.
Table of Contents
Is Online Gambling Legal In India?
Well, when it comes to gambling, the legal scenario in this country seems to be complicated. That is because India has 27 autonomous states, which means that the legal status of this industry will broadly vary among different states. So, the gambling industry here is being regulated both on national as well as state levels.
If you wish to know further about the regulations on the gambling industry in India, start with the three central pieces of legislation that include, The Public Gambling Act of 1867, The Information Technology Act of 2000, and The Prize Competition Act of 1955. If you refer to these regulations, you might notice that these were formulated way before the gambling industry started booming in this country.
Outline of Gambling Laws in India
The Indian laws essentially prohibit land-based casino gambling, which is only legal in places like Daman and Diu, Sikkim, and Goa. However, these states, as well as the union territories, have standard land-based gambling centers along with other floating casinos too.
These casinos operate primarily on cruise ships. But, if you refer to the online casino industry, no practically specific law governs its regulations in India. But it is still considered to be illegal throughout India.
The Public Gambling Act of 1867
Did you know that the exception to the laws of betting includes the state of Sikkim? Yes, in Sikkim, the internet is legal, and therefore, you can legally play online casino games without any worries. Casino gambling and the regulating laws are all subjected to every state’s gaming enactment.
Even many of the states of this country have adopted ‘The Public Gambling Act’ that was already passed during British Rule. But as it was passed a few decades ago, this legislation doesn’t contain any strict provisions regarding the entire act of gambling online.
What Are The Penalties For Gambling Violation?
If you are a bettor, you should be well aware of the charges of playing casino games in India. The violators can face imprisonment as well as monetary compensations as per the gambling regulations in this country. However, as already highlighted above, there are no strict regulations yet that control the online casino India market.
Should Online Gambling Be Regulated In India?
To be honest, India’s confusing gambling laws aren’t beneficial for the country’s economy. However, the entire industry is flourishing and can generate millions of dollars every hour.
But it is saddening to see how the gambling money is being transferred to offshore gambling sites dominated by Indian gamblers. What is worse is that the country has practically no authority in protecting the player’s interests or resolving any disputes between the casino operators and the gamblers.
The country needs to regulate the laws strictly for the benefit of its citizens and its economy. It can potentially curb illicit gambling activities, thereby boosting the overall financial returns. Also, it gives an incredible opportunity to India to determine the total percentage of people affected by the gambling problems and thereby devise appropriate strategies to help them tackle such issues.
India is a country that can make a clear distinction between skill-based and luck-based gambling games. Practically speaking, no player can merely win any gamble depending on only skill or luck, and so every game requires the perfect amalgamation of both skills and luck. But such a distinction is never well-justified, which is another reason why this country needs fair gambling laws.
Is There Any Future Of Online Gambling In India?
According to the recent stats, the online sports gambling industry will continue to flourish in this country. But there is one shortcoming that still isn’t allowing the entire industry to generate sufficient revenue properly.
The problem is that multiple Indian states are still refusing to leave behind past beliefs about online sports gambling practices and aren’t yet ready to embrace the future.
As an example, let’s talk about Andhra Pradesh. The state recently published an Ordinance that boldly and clearly states that it will never regulate online casinos.
But with this note, there is some positive news too. Indian states like Sikkim, Goa, and even Daman allow online gambling legally here. So, there is still hope that the other states here would continue to follow in these states’ footsteps to legalize online gambling practices in India.
How Can Other Countries Teach India About Gambling Laws?
Suppose India successfully identifies the vastness of this gambling industry and its effectiveness in generating revenue. In that case, the country should be serious about making some profound changes in its gambling laws. Even taking a closer look at the gambling laws of other progressive countries can be pretty helpful.
Well, to start with, most of the progressive countries worldwide legally allow online gambling practices. And if you talk about corruption and criminal offenses, they are always present whenever money comes into play.
Let’s take a look at the country that introduced legalized online casinos successfully.
It is none other than the United Kingdom that comes with a long history of gambling for centuries. But in the modern age, the country realized the importance of legalizing gambling practices to stop the ill effects of the black market. That is why they legalized gambling in 1961, and following that, every bet was taxed that brought about vast sums of money.
The funds collected as the gambling tax helped fund the national health service, among the other civil projects. Now, gambling can take anywhere with the help of licensed bookmakers.
As a result of such regulations, around $20 billion is gambled every year but legally in the UK, which also generates a hefty amount of tax money. Such examples can highlight how the gambling industry can also amplify the country’s entire economy, provided that there are strict gambling laws.
Closing Thoughts
The legal status of the gambling industry needs a massive change in this country with uniform gambling laws. In addition, the government needs to step up and understand the vast effects of this exponentially growing industry on the country’s economy.
The concerned authorities must install a proper legal framework and review the available legislation laws concerning the online gambling world. But, on the positive side, it is visible that many parts of the country are interested in legalizing online gambling practices in India.
Therefore, there is a hope that, like Goa or Sikkim, the rest of the country would also identify the potential effects of the online casino industry and legalize the gaming practices in no time.
I am the owner of the site rohithebbar.com. I love playing poker and other card games.
Amazing article! Keep on posting
Nice article! Thanks for sharing this informative post. Keep posting!