Bingo, also known as housie or Tambola, is a popular game in India, often played at get-togethers or clubs as a fun activity. Is bingo legal in India?
Let’s find out.
Is bingo legal in India?
Going strictly by definition, bingo is purely a game of chance or luck, as a player has no control over which numbers will be drawn. And by this definition, it falls under the ambit of gambling laws and can be considered illegal.
However, the authorities usually don’t mind bingo games that are conducted once in a while at clubs or gatherings, as they are usually played for entertainment, rather than as a commercial activity. Therefore, you will not find any `bingo halls´ in India that regularly conduct bingo games.
Online bingo
Is bingo legal in India? Like online betting and gambling, online bingo has also started becoming popular in India. Most online casinos like Unibet, 1xbet, and 22bet, as well as online lottery sites like LottoLand, allow their users to participate in real money bingo games. Some bingo sites offer you the British variant, while some have the American variant. However, most sites have a variety of different bingo games running round the clock, and you can choose which game you want to enter.
Just like in a real bingo game, you can buy tickets, whose price can range from ₹50 to ₹500 depending on the site and the prize pool. Once the tickets are bought, you can start striking out numbers as they are randomly drawn out, and when you finish certain combinations, you can claim prizes. You can even buy multiple tickets for a single draw, and use the autoplay function which automatically marks the ticket for you, in case you miss out on a number.
Some of the commonest combinations include the three individual lines, frame, champagne glass, and full house.
