With the introduction of offshore lottery companies and the opportunity for Indians to play lotteries worldwide, one subject that continues to rise is the Indian gambling laws. In this article, we will address this issue. Here you will read about the legality of gambling in India and maybe see why there is so much confusion.
Background
The laws concerning gambling in India are confusing and controversial. The legality of lotteries in India is a State issue. The Lottery Act of 1998 authorized States to develop their own law. Because of this act, government lottery is legal in some Indian States and banned in others.
However, the issue of offshore or online lotteries is not explicitly addressed. Currently, online lotteries are not illegal. Regarding online lotteries, Indian people can play the lottery of their choice regardless of the State where they play. Because online casinos are not part of any national lottery, they offer even the world’s largest lotteries like the US Powerball, MegaMillions, EuroJackpot, EuroMillions, and other world lotteries. Because the customer is betting on the results of the lottery and not buying a “lottery ticket,” they are paid by the lottery site.
The online sites must be licensed and regulated, and they must be able to prove their ability to pay the immense jackpots. Quality lottery sites use insurance to deliver mega-wins while paying smaller winnings from house funds. The only other qualification addressed by law is that no resident of India can own a lottery company offshore. Here are the primary transnational regulation organizations:
- HM Government of Gibraltar
- UK Gambling Commission
- Swedish Gambling Authority
- Government of the Northern Territory
- Agenzia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli
- Malta Authority
To determine if the lottery company you use is licensed, visit their corporate page.
It is essential to do your research on the online site you plan to use. The site should be safe and encrypted. Reading about the company online will let you know if they have a stellar reputation. You will find articles about past winners. You may discover awards they have won in the industry. While the industry is large, there are few industry leaders.
States with legal government lotteries
Currently, there are 13 Indian States where government lotteries are legal in India. They are:
- Assam
- Arunachal Pradesh
- Goa
- Kerala
- Madhya Pradesh
- Maharashtra
- Manipur
- Meghalaya
- Mizoram
- Nagaland
- Punjab
- Sikkim
- West Bengal
These States have a Lottery Department, which the Finance Department supervises, Government of India. Again, there is no blanket ban on lotteries in the country. Each State has its unique schemes and draws. They organize the dates of the draw and the hours beforehand. The draws are publicly held, and the winning numbers are generated randomly.
States where lottery sales are illegal
There are 28 Indian States. As we mentioned above, 13 of the States have legal lottery departments. Gambling of any kind is not legal in the 15 other states or the 8 Union Territories. This is except for offshore lotteries that an Indian resident does not own. Here is a list of the illegal locations:
- Andaman and Nicobar Islands
- Andhra Pradesh
- Bihar
- Chandigarh
- Chattisgarh
- Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu
- Delhi
- Gujarat
- Haryana
- Himachal Pradesh
- Jammu and Kashmir
- Jharkhand
- Karnataka
- Ladakh
- Lakshadweep
- Odisha
- Puducherry
- Rajasthan
- Tamil Nadu
- Telangana
- Tripura
- Uttar Pradesh
- Uttarakhand
Note: some of the locations (such as Delhi) once used to run State lotteries, but they have since banned them. Tamil Nadu has completely banned the sale of lottery tickets from any state. Tthese States do not have their own government lottery. Some of them, such as Delhi, which once used to run State lotteries, have now banned it. But, Delhi and Haryana have chosen to leave those options open.
Summary
The lottery is legal in many parts of India, and online options are available to all. There is no general ban over the country as some people believe. Currently, 13 Indian States have their own government lottery. The lottery is illegal in 15 Indian States and 8 Union Territories. Playing international lotteries is not unlawful if the nation offers them. However, most do not, and offshore sites are the only option to play and win substantial transnational lotteries.
Online sites offer other activities to the Indian client as well. These include basic casino games, slots, scratch-offs, instant wins, and sports betting. Since you are going by the same rules, betting with online sportsbooks, these activities are entirely legal. Online customers set up accounts with the company they are accessing. Indians should feel free to play online. Many people play and win daily. If you place a bet and win, your payment is guaranteed. Now is the time to check this out. It is perfectly secure and legal.
