The legality of online gambling is an oft-ignored topic among online gamblers. Not many care about it. However, it is advisable to be mindful of regulations. In particular, Indians playing online casino games in India should check their local laws to avoid problems.
Gambling legalities should be taken seriously. While not many get fined or sent to jail for gambling online illegally, it would be a dreadful experience to become one of the few to get entangled with gambling laws.
Is online gambling legal for Indians?
According to India Casino Info, the regulation of online gambling is relegated to state prerogative. India’s federal government does not say that online gambling is legal, but it also does not say it is illegal. It is up to the state legislatures to come up with the legal framework on allowing or prohibiting online casinos and other forms of games of chance.
India’s Parliament has not decided with finality whether or not to legalize online gambling. For now, the parties taking the affirmative and adversary sides appear to be on equal footing. There has been no federal resolution on how to deal with online gambling yet.
Fortunately, only the states of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana have strict laws against online and land-based gambling. Outside of these states, no legislation has been enacted to consider online gambling is illegal.
Many states in India already explicitly permit online gambling. Some have come up with better regulations to protect players and generate revenues for their states. Goa and Sikkim, for example, have legalized and regulated gambling in their states. They are also two of the only three states in India with legal land-based casinos. The third is Daman.
Are offshore casinos legal for Indians?
Offshore casinos are another grey area in Indian laws. It is important for players to check their local regulations before playing. However, the general status is that they are not illegal. Citizens and non-citizens can play at online casinos hosted on foreign servers and made available to players in India.
Offshore casinos are allowed to serve Indian players. There are no special requirements for players, but the casinos should support the Indian rupee as one of their currencies or maintaining account balances and withdrawing payments.
Online gambling is still at its early stages in India. The rules are still not well established. This may be good for some as it means everyone can play without regulations getting in the way. However, it may be disadvantageous when it comes to fraudulent online casinos and other possibly felonious activities. Many scammers employ online casinos to rip off players. Without regulations, it will be difficult to identify legitimate gambling sites and hold the defrauders accountable.
Just like viewing a glass half full or half empty, the legality of online casinos in India is not that well-defined. To be safe, it is important to get acquainted with the state or local laws first before engaging in any online gambling activity.
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