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Legislative Framework of Sports Betting Regulation in India

Legislative Framework of Sports Betting Regulation in India

Being so densely populated, it is inevitable that India will be the home of numerous bettors with a huge interest in sports betting and gambling overall. Whether this form of entertainment is legal, however, can be a question that is a tad confusing for Indian people who have never made any sports bets. Gambling in India is regulated on a state basis, with every state deciding for itself whether to legalize sports betting and the way the sector will be regulated. The main issue of this industry in India is having no unified legal framework that can apply to all forms of gambling in the entire country. This being said, punters in India should not feel discouraged as they may have the opportunity to legally bet on their favorite sports. Is Sports Betting Legal in India? Even though there is a huge interest in gambling in India, under the 1876 Public Gaming Act, all forms of gambling are deemed illegal and it is against the law to run a gambling facility in India. As one could clearly see, this law is very outdated and it needs to be reviewed as online betting was not even a thing back in 1876. While it may seem like there is no way for Indian bettors to enjoy sports betting legally, you should not be so quick to fall into despair. As mentioned earlier, the gambling sector in India is regulated state by state, with several states having legalized betting activities. What is more, the Public Gaming Act makes a difference between games of skills and games of chance, with only the latter being illegal in India. There is no clear-cut definition of how the sports betting industry is regulated in India but it can be concluded that punters in several states will have no issue placing wagers on some of their favorite sporting events. Which States Allow Making Sports-Related Wagers Despite the Public Gaming Act deeming all forms of gambling illegal, several states in India have introduced a legal way for punters in India to bet on different sports. The state of Sikkim has been one of the first areas in the country to welcome gambling, with the north-eastern state launching its first physical casino in 2009 and even introducing several lotteries. The other Indian state that has been steadily working towards legalizing gambling within its territory is Goa. It is known as the first state that legalizes brick-and-mortar casinos and is currently the state hosting the largest number of gambling facilities in the country. One important thing to mention is that even though Goa is the state with the largest concentration of gambling parlors, it does not allow locals to participate in the gambling activities offered at these facilities. The Union Territory of Daman has also legalized gambling activities, with one onshore casino currently located in that area and the biggest land-based casino in India. Current Legal Status of Online Betting in India Even though sports betting is deemed illegal across a large portion of India, there is no current law that mentions online betting. This gives a legal loophole that allows quite a few offshore betting websites to welcome punters from India. As the country has an affinity for cricket, it comes as no surprise that a large part of fans of the sport is looking for a way to place bets on some of the biggest cricket events. Off-shore operators allow Indian punters to make bets on various sports without worrying about any legal actions. The government of India has introduced laws like the Information Technology Act 2000, protecting individuals from being corrupted by web technologies. That said, the law has disregarded off-shore betting sites as potentially harmful, allowing numerous Indian punters to place bets online. Under the outdated 1876 Public Gaming Act, running a gambling facility in India is illegal. This is the reason why punters will not be able to find any India-based sportsbooks that will allow them to place sports bets. That said, there are a large number of foreign betting websites that allow Indian bettors to place wagers on cricket, horse races, and numerous other sports that appeal to betting fans in India. Although the current legal framework is in dire need of an update, the legal loopholes allow Indian punters to still make online sports bets without having to worry about any legal consequences.  

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