Online gambling in India
History
Traditionally, gambling in India has been confined to specific activities like lotteries, horse racing, and rummy, which have cultural significance. However, the online gambling sector has rapidly grown due to increased internet penetration and smartphone usage, attracting a significant number of players despite the regulatory uncertainties.
In 2009 the East Indian state of Sikkim introduced India’s first laws enabling licensed and regulated online gambling. A number of large European based operators including William Hill and Betfair participated in the license application process. Licenses would give the successful applicants the right to advertise via mainstream media in Sikkim, and also offer their product to the wider Indian market.
Current Regulations
India’s regulatory landscape for online gambling is complex and fragmented, with no unified national law specifically addressing the issue. The Public Gambling Act of 1867, which prohibits most forms of gambling, does not explicitly cover online activities. As a result, regulation is largely left to individual states.
Some states like Sikkim and Nagaland have enacted laws to regulate and license certain forms of online gambling, while others maintain prohibitions, enforced to varying degrees.
The Information Technology Act of 2000 and subsequent amendments provide a framework for monitoring and blocking illegal online gambling sites at a national level, but enforcement has been described as piecemeal.
Major Operators
The online gambling market in India is populated by both domestic and international operators. Major domestic platforms include Adda52, a leading poker site, and RummyCircle, which focuses on online rummy.
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International operators like Betway, 10Cric, and 888 also attract significant Indian user bases by offering sports betting, casino games, and other gambling services.
These operators are able to circumvent lax regulatory obstacles by operating offshore while accepting Indian customers through localised marketing and payment solutions and crypto currency transaction capabilities.
