There are two main forms of gambling in India: Lottery and Sports Betting. The Government regulates all forms of gambling including Lottery, however, Sports Betting is illegal.
Sports Betting is illegal in India unless it is conducted through an online platform. The Supreme Court recently ruled that Sports Betting can be legalized if it is done through an online platform; however, there are still many challenges ahead.
Horse racing is considered a game of Skill, therefore it is legal in India. However, Sports Betting is Illegal in India, except for Cricket, Hockey, Kabaddi, Boxing, Athletics, Volleyball, Table Tennis, Lawn Tennis, Basketball, Carom, Chess, Billiards, Shuffleboard, Snooker, Dart, Checkers, Board Games, etc.
Games of Skill include Chess, Card Games, Backgammon, Bridge, Draughts, Go, Scrabble, Mahjong, Poker, Dominoes, Roulette, Baccarat, Black Jack, Craps, Dice, Rummy, etc.
Betting on Lottery in India
Lotteries are regulated by the State Governments. Thus, betting on lottery is possible and you can try your luck on many online websites. There are different types of lotteries such as National Lotteries, Mega-lotteries, Multi-State Lotteries, etc.
In most states, the government conducts a lottery once or twice a year. In some states like Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Telangana, Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, etc., there is more than one state lottery.
In most cases, the prizes offered in the various lotteries are fixed. For example, in the national lottery, the prize money is fixed at Rs. 50 crores per annum. However, in some cases, the prizes may vary from time to time. For instance, in the recent mega-lottery, the prize money was increased from Rs. 5 crores to Rs. 10 crores.
In addition to this, the number of tickets sold varies from state to state. For example, in Kerala, the number of tickets is limited to 1 lakh whereas, in other states, the number of tickets may go up to 3 lakhs.
What is the difference between betting and gambling?
Gambling is defined as “the act of risking something valuable for entertainment”. Gambling involves risk because you have no control over what will happen next. You might win but you also might lose.
On the contrary, betting is defined as “a wager made with the expectation of winning something valuable”. In other words, when you bet, you know exactly what will happen next. If you win, you get your stake back plus a profit.
How does betting work?
When you place a bet, you commit to paying a certain amount of money (called the stake) if your prediction comes true. This means that you must pay even if you do not win.
If your prediction turns out to be correct, you receive your stake back plus a small profit. On the other hand, if your prediction turns out to be wrong, then you lose your stake. The size of the stake depends upon the type of bet. The following table shows how much you can bet on lottery India:
Type of Bet Amount of Stake Fixed Odds Bet on Single Number 100–200 Rupees Bet on Multiple Numbers 200–500 Rupees Bet on One Ball 500 Rupees Bet on All Balls 1000 Rupees.
The Legality of gambling in India
In India, there is no special legislation regarding gambling. However, it is prohibited under the Indian Penal Code. Section 11(1)(b) prohibits "conducting, managing, promoting, advertising, offering to conduct, conducting or participating in any betting activity." This includes both fixed odds betting terminals and online gambling.
Online gambling is illegal in Maharashtra state. Article 292 of the Bombay Police Act makes it a crime to operate an unlicensed gambling site. No law in India covers online gaming. Only three states, Goa, Daman, and Sikkim allow casinos.
There are ten casinos in Goa, six of which are located on land and four of which are floating casinos operating on the Mandovi River. Casino Mahogany is one such casino. It is situated on the banks of the Mandovi River. It opened in November 2016 and is owned by the government of Goa.
In Sikkim, there are two casinos - Casino Sikkims and Casinos Mahogany. Both are located near Gangtok, the capital city of Sikkim. They opened in October 2017 and are operated by the Government of Sikkim.
Payment gateways
E-wallets are popular among Indians who want to receive their lottery winnings and avoid problems related to paying via credit card or bank account. They use mobile wallets such as Paytm, MobiKwik, Freecharge, Oxigen, Mobikwik, and others. Many offer free transactions and some even allow you to make payments without having to register an account. However, there are fees involved. You will usually have to pay a small amount every time you transfer funds from one wallet to another, and you will often have to pay a monthly subscription fee. Some companies give discounts for large amounts being transferred.
There are several types of eWallets. Mobile wallets are apps that run on smartphones and tablets. These apps store your personal information securely and let you access it quickly and easily. Online wallets are websites where you enter your banking credentials. This type of wallet lets you manage your finances online. Payment gateways are third-party companies that enable merchants to accept payments online.
The most common way of making payments in India is through debit cards. Debit cards are linked to your bank account and work much like a checkbook. If you buy something online, you simply swipe your debit card at checkout. Merchants must verify your identity before allowing you to complete the purchase. Credit cards are becoming increasingly popular in India. These cards require you to provide your name, address, phone number, date of birth, and proof of income. In addition, the issuer of the card verifies your identity.
