Many Indians like to have a small wager now and then. For some, it is the joy of horse racing, and for others, it is sitting at the poker table.
TaxScan reports that over three-quarters of Indians have some form of a gamble at least once a year. This might simply mean buying a ticket for one of the state lotteries during a fortuitous time, or it may be a visit to the casinos of Goa for the more serious gambler.
Whatever the activity, it is clear that many Indians enjoy a small flutter now and then. Probably the biggest growth area within the gambling industry is the online sector.
This takes into account sportsbooks, bingo, and of course, online casinos. It is the latter that has grown massively during the last 18 months. But, are they safe to join, and for Indians especially, are they legal and genuine?
Are casinos and gambling legal in India?
In a similar fashion to the US, Indias gambling laws differ from state to state to a degree anyway. By and large, the only legal forms of gambling are horse racing, state lotteries, and casinos.
Some states have lotteries while others prohibit them. A very small number are land-based, and river casinos and horse racing can be done at a number of licensed bookmakers.
Horse racing in India only involves horses that are bred in the country, and there are just nine racetracks. The betting that is allowed on horse racing is also tightly controlled and heavily taxed.
How has Covid affected the legal gambling market in India?
Just like other countries, India had to close the doors on its casinos and postpone horse racing as the pandemic hit. The casinos in Goa were unable to reopen in July of this year due to the Covid crisis.
This has meant that the gambling market in India has suffered greatly during this period. Of course, just as in many other countries, India has an underground gambling market too.
It is believed that the underground gambling market in India is worth around
150 billion per year. This works out to Rs 9.9 lakh crore spent illegally every year. As Covid forced legal enterprises to close, the underground market would have attracted more players.
Another area that grew due to Covid was the online sector. Anyone who wants to play in a casino online in India can find blackjack and slots very easily. A quick search on the internet and many
casino online will appear.
How is the online gambling market in India?
While it may be easy to find an online casino anywhere in India, it doesnt mean it is always safe.
Earlier this year, the state of Karnataka amended its laws so that they would be much tougher on gambling in general. This meant that gambling in all forms would be banned, and the police would have more powers to raid illegal dens.
The ban would also extend to online gambling. Kerala and Tamil Nadu have also banned online casinos and sportsbooks.
Players are mostly concerned with how to avoid being ripped off in online casinos. But perhaps they should be more worried about how the laws might affect them.
What are the risks of using an online casino in India?
For the most part, discrete online gambling shouldnt be a problem. States such as Goa and Sikkim are far more relaxed in their views towards online gambling.
These two states make up two-thirds of the only places where you will find traditional casinos to visit in India too.
One of the hazards of playing in an online casino is that you may lose your money. Not from gambling, but because of the government. In the past, certain authorities have tried to block the deposit and withdrawal of funds to online casino sites.
This can, of course, stop a player from enjoying online gambling by not allowing a deposit to be made. If the player has his withdrawals blocked then it would be doubly unlucky.
Perhaps the biggest problem though is due to the laws in India, some players may be pushed towards using unregulated online casinos. This can leave the user wide open to problems such as data breaches.
What are the problems with unregulated online casinos?
If a player is unable to find a licensed, and regulated, online casino, they may opt for a less secure one.
The most obvious risk here is that the casino could just disappear with the players money. This happened more than once in the early days of bitcoin casinos, as they didnt need to be licensed.
Another risk though is data breaches. An unregulated online casino is less likely to care about its users data. There have been some large data breaches over the years, and India has had quite a few. Dominos, Air India, and MobiKwik, all got hacked and lost customer data.
In Thailand in 2019, over 3 million online casino users had their information stolen in a huge data breach. This is why players must check out the online casino they are considering using before depositing money and entering sensitive data.
Would big-name offshore online casinos be safer?
Any online casino that has a license, and is regulated, is likely to be perfectly safe. They use sophisticated cybersecurity to keep all the players information safe, and it is in their interest to do so.
Data breaches cost companies their reputations and huge fines. There are other penalties too that are even harsher.
However, when it comes to India, using an offshore casino is the most likely option. It is illegal to operate an online gambling site in India, and doing so can end with large fines and prison time.
Anyone who wanted to place a bet on the cricket would be better off doing so at Ladbrokes, Paddy Power, or
LVBET, for instance, as these all have offshore sportsbooks and casinos.
But, there is one more thing players can do to make online casino usage in India safer.
When gambling online in India, use a VPN
Anyone wanting to gamble or play in a casino online in India should consider using a VPN. These simple but small apps allow anyone to mask their location, and be more secure while browsing online.
They are ideal for ecommerce transactions, they let users access foreign Netflix libraries, and they can also bypass geo-blocked websites.
This is especially useful for getting onto offshore casinos online. Not only will they trick geo-locked casinos into believing the player is in another country, but they will encrypt all the data being sent. This makes betting online much safer.
Summary
To answer the question in the title, you can trust online casinos in India, and you cannot.
What this means is, you could safely play in an online casino if it is licensed and regulated, and offshore. However, online casinos are largely illegal to operate in India, so if you access one that was based in Kerala then it would not be a legitimate operation.
The other risk you may face is having your payments blocked by your bank, so use an e-wallet if you wish to play poker online. And also, there is the risk of data being exposed, so use a VPN.
Perhaps the biggest risk though is of you losing your money. So, always gamble responsibly, and remember it is supposed to be fun.