Although India is easily keeping pace with modern technologies and online services, the country’s gambling laws are nigh on archaic. India’s primary gambling laws are over 75 years old and were written long before the days of smartphones and online gaming.

India’s laws haven’t kept up with modern gaming options, so both locals and visitors remain confused about the legality of betting. While it’s true that some forms of betting are perfectly legal in India, the challenge is determining which ones!

Despite this ambiguity, many locals and tourists enjoy gambling while on Indian soil, even though they risk stepping afoul of the law. To clear up this confusion once and for all, keep reading to discover seven fascinating facts about gambling in India.

#1 - The British Introduced Gambling to India

People have gambled for millennia, but the British officially introduced the pastime to India during their 89-year occupation from 1858 to 1947. Betting became popular among the locals and quickly spiralled out of control, so the British Raj introduced The Public Gambling Act of India in 1867. The Act was based on the British gambling laws of the time and outlined “regulation and penalisation of public gaming activities and the operation of common gaming houses”.   

#2 - Each State Has Different Gambling Laws

When the British left India, the new government introduced the Prize Competition Act in 1955 to “control and regulate prize competitions”. The Prize Competition Act isn’t applicable in all states, and each state can dictate its own gambling laws. The government is currently working on Indian gambling regulation changes that will create new legislation to clarify gambling laws and capitalise on the growing industry. 

Most Indian states base their laws on the Public Gambling Act and use the freedom of the Prize Competition Act to dictate their laws. The result is that some states, including Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, banned gambling and online gaming in 2020 due to concerns about the detrimental effects on mental health. On the other hand, several states, such as Goa and Sikkim, embrace the gaming industry and are two of the few states with casinos. 

#3 - Indian Gambling Laws Differentiate Between Games of Skills and Games of Chance

The Public Gambling Act of India differentiates between games based on skill, such as sports, and games of chance, like certain card games. The Act essentially outlaws betting on games of chance while allowing people to bet on games of skill.

This may sound straightforward, but it’s one of the most contrary aspects of Indian gaming laws. For example, lotteries and bingo are games based on random chance, but they are government-regulated and legal in many places. Meanwhile, sports depend on skill—yet betting on sports remains illegal in many states. 

#4 - Legal Sports Betting in India Was Worth Over USD$2 Billion in 2023

The most common form of legal gambling in India is sports betting. Most sports betting focuses on cricket, one of the nation’s most popular sports. The second most popular sport to bet on is the football World Cup.

Sports are skill games, so technically, betting on them isn’t illegal–but sports betting remains illegal in some states. While $2 billion seems like a lot of money, it only accounts for a tiny 2% of the global sports betting market. The USA generates a whopping $78 billion, and the UK brings in $5 billion. The reason why India only holds a small part of the market is due to its unclear laws.

#5 - Around 80% of Indians Gamble Annually

Despite the somewhat ambiguous gambling laws in the country, around 80% of the Indian population enjoys gambling annually. India’s population totals more than 1.4 billion people, so that is a lot of bets. While many people who enjoy gambling are regular players, others only bet once or twice a year. The lottery is one of the most popular legal betting options, and around 50 million people in India play the lottery weekly.

#6 - India Has One of the Fastest-Growing Online Gaming Industries

Per Statista’s numbers, the online gambling industry in India will generate $2.9 billion in 2024. The market expects to see an annual growth rate between 5% and 10% and will potentially be worth $3.73 billion by 2028. This makes India one of the fastest-growing e-gaming markets globally. 

Many locals turn to online gaming for entertainment due to the ambiguous gambling laws. The current laws don’t mention online gaming at all, meaning that it feels like a safer option for staying on the right side of the law. Of course, playing at online casinos is also the best way to find all the no deposit bonus offers you could want.

While the pandemic was responsible for a massive 40% boost in the number of online gamers in India, today, a growing number of people are betting online thanks to the easy availability of games made for smart devices.

#7 - There are Only 21 Land-Based Casinos in India

Due to individual state gambling laws, only 21 land-based casinos exist in India. Goa, Sikkim and Daman are the only states with approved licences for land casinos. Most casinos are located in Goa, one of the top tourist destinations for foreigners and Indians alike.

Goa is home to India’s largest casino, the Deltin Royal, a floating casino, and India’s first-ever casino, the Casino Carnival, which opened in 2001. The Casino Paradise, also located in Goa, takes the prize as the country’s favourite casino. Daman is home to one casino, the 5-Star Luxury Deltin Resort, which sprawls over 5 acres and has over 175 rooms. Meanwhile, Sikkim has three luxury casinos: the Big Bull, Deltin Denzong and Mayfair Gangtok Casino Mahjong.

As the gaming market continues to boom across India, locals and visitors can only hope that the country’s government will update its laws and take the opportunity to expand local gambling options, giving the people what they clearly want.