Betting and gambling games have been in existence for centuries around the world. Their history and ancient accounts can easily be traced back to the Indian land also. Not to mention, Indian sports players are some of the most famous sports personalities in the world.
Also, it’s not a hush-hush conversation any more than Indians do love playing gambling games, such as card games, fantasy games, casino games, and much more.
In fact, with the invention of the Internet and its growing penetration in India. The popularity of online sports betting and fantasy games in India has grown by leaps and bounds in our country.
However, whenever we talk about gambling laws and legal facets of the same in India. It has always been quite complicated and not very explicit. That’s why, today, we are going to talk about Indian laws for fantasy games in India. And whether they are entirely legal to play in our country or not right here right now.
Let’s get started without any further delay!
First, Start with the Most Asked Question: Is Online Betting Even Legal in India?
To understand this, we need to go back to the history of gambling in India. Contrary to popular belief, gambling has been prevalent in India for a very long time. Yes!
Although it is only recorded in 430 BC, it also got mentioned in the Ramayana, which can date back to around 7300 BC. The Ramayana talks about dice gambling as well as gambling on gambling boards, which some people mistake for playing chess.
However, when came the British Raj in India, the Public Gaming Act (1867) outlawed all gaming and gambling-related activities in our country back then. It was also later prohibited by this regulation to enter a location that provided gaming services.
But then British Rule went away, and many decades later came the era of the Internet. Consequently, over the years, online betting and gambling games have become quite popular and accessible in our country.
However, are online betting games legal to play in India? There’s not a straightforward answer to this question. In India, there are no federal regulations that forbid online gambling. Recently, a few states passed legislation specifically banning online gambling.
The Information Technology Act of 2000 is another piece of legislation that governs online activity in India.
However, nothing concerning online gambling is included in this act either. Because of this, most citizens of the nation are still free to gamble at different online casinos and betting websites.
However, there are also some other dated laws in effect, such as the Public Gambling Act of 1867. And there are no known instances of Indian players getting charged with online gambling.
The only states with gambling regulations and licensing procedures are Sikkim, Nagaland, and Meghalaya.
Sports betting and online casino gaming are greenlit in Sikkim and Meghalaya. However, inhabitants of their states are not covered by licensing, following recent reports.
In short, in some Indian states, there are some laws regarding online betting, but in the majority of regions of our country, there are not many clear rules and regulations. That brings us to the question: is playing India fantasy cricket games even safe for Indian sports players? Let’s discuss it!
The concept behind this question is quite convoluted and not easy to put into clear words. You have to always remember that in most parts of our country, there are no clear laws and regulations applied concerning online sports betting in India.
So, you must be careful and mindful whenever you sign up for any of these fantasy sports India game betting websites in India.
Moreover, Indian sports players should conduct their research and only play on trustworthy sites like GullyBET, which are licensed and regulated as internet gambling is not entirely regulated and processed in India. GullyBET is one of the best online betting websites in India.
According to the website, when selecting online casino games like Cricket Betting, Football, and Rummy, all Indian sports players can access frank, knowledgeable guidance on their platform. You can play live casino in India and GullyBET live cricket games and win real money on the Gully BET platform.
Now, let’s talk about fantasy sports below!
What are fantasy games in India? A fantasy sport is a form of the game that gets frequently played online in which users create fictional or virtual teams out of actual professional Indian sports players. Based on how those Indian Sports Players performed statistically in actual games, these teams compete in various skill-based games.
Also, fantasy games are a sort of sports betting online game that is well-liked throughout the world.
In these online betting games, the winner gets chosen using a predetermined points system based on a fictional squad that is self-assembled using real athletes from a certain discipline of the sport. Now, you must be wondering whether fantasy sports are legal in India or not. Well, here’s your answer!
Due to the perception that fantasy sports are skill-based activities rather than games of chance, they do not get legally seen as gambling, not banned in our country.
However, the act of playing a game by placing a bet in the hopes of winning money or property on the outcome of a future event is what gets referred to as gambling.
So, again, there’s no explicit and straightforward answer available here yet.
The market and reach of different online betting and fantasy sports websites are constantly on the rise in India.
In fact, following many recent studies and statistics, these numbers are going to be even bigger in the coming future.
In 2023, it is expected that the industry for online sports betting will generate a whopping amount of almost US$1.70 billion. And market volume is anticipated to reach US$2.47 billion by 2027, with revenue estimated to expand at a 9.77% annual rate (CAGR 2023–2027).
Aren’t these big numbers? Of course, they are!
But there are a lot of reasons behind this massive boost for this industry. Any guesses?
More virtual reality technology is likely to be incorporated into online casinos’ games even more in the coming years. And giving Indian sports players an advanced immersive, and realistic experience.
Besides, players can explore a GullyBET casino in virtual reality and engage with other players, simulating a real-world casino experience when playing online.
So, in a nutshell, online betting & fantasy games are not going anywhere but are here to stay and grow in our country. However, as a professional or beginner Indian sports player. It’s on you to only play online casino or fantasy games on trusted websites; considering all the possible grey shades of the niche.
We at GullyBET offer a wide range of online live casino games from the industry’s best betting experience. You can enjoy interacting with real dealers and other players as the games unfold in real-time.