One of the key questions of new players is about the legal status of online gambling in the residing country. Asking the question is very relevant, making sense to go deeper into it, since the answer is often a bit more complex than just yes or no. In some countries, the answer is relatively easy to comprehend, while in some others, like in India, the question is quite challenging to be answered.
The Public Gambling Act from 1867 was the first law that prohibited gambling, stating that gambling is illegal in any place. However, gambling laws have not been updated ever since that date, and the law doesn’t define what gambling is and, because the time when it was stated, doesn’t address online gambling at all. In this sense, online gambling is not legalized in India.
Moreover, because these online gambling operators are not located in this country, they operate out of the local law and jurisdiction, therefore they do not face legal responsibilities in India. Many casino review sites like Royalcasino list plenty of casinos and betting sites that accept customers playing in Indian Rupees, despite the fact that the casino itself is not based in India.
However, there are some exceptions. The base of whether gambling is illegal or not seems to be based on if the game is a game of chance or game of skill. Due to this horse racing – India’s top sports – was exempt from the Gambling Act since betting on horse racing was considered as a skills-based activity. Betting on horse racing is regulated so gamblers looking for variety and better odds would like to go to global online gambling websites. But then again, the lottery is legal in some states even though it is purely a game of chance.
So, whether online gambling is legal in India depends on the state’s own laws and its interpretations. It is safe to say that online gambling sites operating from countries outside India aren’t to face any charges since the legislation has not been updated in years and each state has the right to interpret itself.
