Betting, although quite prevalent in India, is considered to be an illegal activity, thanks to an outdated British era law called the Public Gambling Act, passed in 1867. As there are no legal bookmakers, betting is done underground and controlled in most cases by the mafia. However, recently you might have come across advertisements by betway on OTT platforms. Is betway illegal in India?
Is betway illegal in India?
The Public Gambling Act, while banning gambling houses, has no mention of online betting or gambling, because of the obvious reason that online betting and gambling did not exist back then. There have been no modifications in this law to keep pace with the changing betting habits.
As per the current laws, no online betting websites are allowed to operate from India. However, betway, by the way of being registered in Malta, is outside the jurisdiction of Indian laws, and can hence accept Indian players. The current laws are quite vague, and hence open to different interpretations. But till now, there have been no known cases of being arrested for online betting on websites like betway.
About betway
Betway is a global online betting and gambling giant, with operations in a number of countries across the world. In addition to being licensed by the Malta Gaming Authority, it also holds licenses from the UKGC, and in countries like Italy, Spain, and Sweden.
In addition to running an online sportsbook, it has dedicated sites that allow gamers to access services like casinos, bingo, lotto, and live casinos.
One of the reasons why betway is so popular in India is because it allows Indian players to make deposits and withdrawals in Indian Rupees, without the need of converting them into any foreign currency. Betway also has a dedicated app for both Android as well as iOS devices, so that players can enjoy their favorite games, on the go.
Is betway illegal in India? We don't think so but seek a legal opinion if you want to be sure!
