Andhra Pradesh is the 7th largest state of India in terms of size, and the 10th in terms of population. Â It has always been considered as a progressive state and ranks amongst the top 10 states in India in terms of GDP. So being such an affluent state, and with a good amount of disposable income, Is betting legal in Andhra Pradesh?
Unfortunately, it is not.
Is betting legal in Andhra Pradesh?
No, betting is not legal in Andhra Pradesh. In fact, the government is bringing in tougher laws to prevent betting in the state. Recently, the legislative assembly amended the Andhra Pradesh Gaming Act 1974, by bringing in an ordinance, seeking to ban online gaming websites and apps, becoming one of the first states in India to do so. The government argues that online gaming has lead to significant addiction, especially among the youth. Thanks to this amendment, gaming apps like the MPL, Adda52, Paytm First Games, and more than 100 different apps are now considered to be illegal in the state
However, one can legally bet on horse races taking place at the Race Course in Hyderabad a city which the state shares as a capital with Telangana. Recently, there have been talks of legalizing lotteries in Andhra Pradesh, in order to shore up the revenues of the government.
Online betting has always been a grey area in Indian law, with no particular law making it an offense. This legal loophole has prompted many online bookmakers to cater to Indian players, allowing them to bet on a huge number of sports and betting markets. As of now, anyone can log on to the internet and create an account with the online sportsbooks, transfer some money to their betting account, and start betting.
The Andhra Pradesh Gambling Act 2020 seeks to make betting online illegal but it does not ban any of the websites themselves or the means to access them.
Is betting legal in Andhra Pradesh? No, it is absolutely not.
