Yes, playing at live online casinos is legal in India, there is no federal law prohibiting online casino gambling.
It is up to each state to decide whether or not to declare gambling illegal. So far, only a small number of states have prohibited online casinos.
This means that online casinos are legal in India, with the exception of a few states like Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Tamil.
Due to the advancement in technology almost every experience has been brought to an online platform. Experiences offered by land-based casinos have been replicated on online casino gambling.
These features and functionality not break land-based casinos but also raise up the process of gambling for several users. However, many users are concerned about the legal aspect of live online gambling in India. Let’s have a close look at the gambling law and things to consider when choosing an online casino.
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Indian Gambling Law
Online gambling isn’t specifically mentioned in any of these acts so it resides in a grey area of the law. Some could argue that the Public Gambling act of 1867 applies to online gambling since it restricts all forms of “gambling.” Additionally, there’s the problem that “gambling” itself is never defined by the act.
The states also have the authority to regulate gambling to a degree. Two states, Goa and Sikkim, have authorized a limited number of brick-and-mortar casinos. The other states outlaw most forms of gambling, betting, and poker.
Public Gambling Act 1867
Back in 1867, The Indian government made it illegal to run a gaming house or to establish one throughout the country. To fight this, they created the Public Gambling Act of 1867.
It outlawed and outlined the penalty for operating a public gambling institution as a centralized law. However, Nowhere in the law does it make any mention of online gambling.
Under the law, there is nothing that plainly states that online gambling at a gaming company based outside of India is illegal.
The Information Technology Act of 2000
The Information Technology Act of 2000 is even more difficult than the other two acts described above because it’s so broad in scope. The government had realized that they needed to create a law to deal with cybercrime, so the Information Technology Act (2000) was born.
The statute defines cybercrime and establishes appropriate punishments for those who execute them.
Since gambling on the internet isn’t mentioned anywhere in the Act, it is up to the interpretation of the courts. To date, no court has used this Act to penalize online gambling
State Gambling Laws
Although the Public Gaming Act applies to all states, each state has the authority to amend or change its gambling legislation. This is why states like Goa, Daman, and Sikkim can all have legal gambling establishments.
Only a few states have prescribed internet gambling laws. Meaning that you can freely place your bets online without fear of consequence.
Gambling Licenses
A gaming license is required for an online casino to lawfully operate anywhere in the world. Various jurisdictions provide gambling licenses, which allow the casino to operate legal gaming websites in a number of nations across the world.
The Malta Gaming Authority and the UK Gambling Commission are two of the most well-known issuing bodies.
Essentially, these licenses create government-approved casinos. A license proves that a casino is running in a fair and secure way.
Conclusion
Hence, India’s gaming regulations are confused and poorly drafted. The reality of it all, especially in terms of online gambling, is that people all over India bet online every day. There are no regulations that make putting a few bets on the internet illegal. You can play at a variety of online casinos, sportsbooks, and poker rooms if you live in India.
There’s no reason to limit yourself from enjoying the excitement and convenience provided by gaming websites. In most locations, betting over the internet is safer than doing it in person. Millions of Indians already gamble online and have had no legal issues to date. Hence playing live casinos is legal in India.
