How can I bet in India? Betting on sports in India is legally prohibited under the Public Gambling Act of 1867. Formed during the days of the British Raj, this outdated law is still in force in major parts of the country, while ironically, betting is perfectly legal in the UK as of today. Placing bets on sports except horse racing can attract a fine as well as imprisonment. So how can you bet on India without breaking the law?
How can I bet in India?
As mentioned earlier, betting on sports except horse racing is considered to be illegal in India. The 1867 Public Gambling Act prohibits individuals from gambling or placing bets on any `game of chance´.
A landmark Supreme Court order of 1996, in the case of Dr. K. R. Lakshamanan vs. The State of Tamil Nadu, said that horse racing is not merely a `game of chance´, but should be considered as a `game of skill´, thus exempting it from the purview of the Public Gambling Act, and opening the doors for legalized betting on horse racing.
Betting on other sports, like cricket and soccer, however, is illegal. It is a well-known fact that there is a huge underground market for sports betting in India, especially for cricket, which has been exposed on multiple occasions by numerous match-fixing scandals, and raids on illegal bookies, especially during major tournaments.
Online betting
With the dawn of online betting, things have changed considerably. Since the gambling law is very old, there is no mention of online gambling or betting, and no amendments have been made to include them so far.
The Information Technology Act of 2000 while prohibiting the setup of India-based bookmakers, does not mention anything about offshore betting websites. This loophole has opened a huge gap, where a number of online betting sites currently operate.
How can I bet in India? Just register at leading websites like Bet365, Betway, and 1xbet that accept Indian players. Indian citizens can currently place bets on these sites without the fear of doing anything illegal, at least for now, till any new law takes shape.