Best Online Casinos - India

Regulations for online gambling in India are a bit of a mess. Though, to be completely honest, this is what we can say about gambling in India in general.

The initial Public Gaming Act was passed in 1867 and banned gambling for all ten British colonies, which were then representing the country. With time, the power of the act was stretched through all the modern states, although, unbelievable as it is, there is no specific definition of games of chance or types of gambling in this act. So, it leaves a lot of loopholes and places for speculation.

On top of this, each of India’s states has the power to exercise its own legislation. Therefore, the state of Goa chose to legalize land-based gambling and casinos, and so did the state of Sikkim, which currently has two land-based venues.

Other betting activities that are legal throughout the country are lotteries and betting. Lotteries are regulated by the Lotteries Act of 1998 and allow each of the states to decide for themselves. Horse racing and cricket, two of the extremely popular sports, are opened to bets. At the state level, betting on horse racing may be legal both off-course and on course.

HOW ABOUT ONLINE GAMING?

There is currently no specific legal written definition or explanation of online gambling. The one act currently existing for the Indian community is the Information Technology Act of 2000. It provides definitions for certain online activity, but not for virtual gambling.

On the state level, Maharastra and Sikkim are the only two territories to put regulations in writing. No online casino gambling activity is allowed in Maharastra. Sikkim allows for online operators to apply for state licensing.

At the same time, there is currently no official prohibition for international lobbies targeting Indian players. ISPs do not block these providers, and there are no penalties for the players. In a country as big as India, almost 80% of the residents admitted to gambling online at least once per year. The gross revenue is around 60 billion USD, half of it is illegal.

While Indian rupiah is the best option for players from India, not that many international lobbies will have it in their cashiers. In our database, only around 2% of the websites are compatible with it, which is around 25 places to bet and win, including Dafabet. 

Alternatively, Euros and US dollars may be a good way out, as they open access to more than 500 India-friendly platforms, including the Casino Kingdom and Slot Hunter. And we cannot leave cryptocurrencies unmentioned, as these are currently among the most convenient options for international lobbies. Take a look at JacksPay Casino, among others.

As per the payment methods, we recommend using those websites that operate with the major cards and e-wallets. For cards, Visa and MasterCard are the ultimate go-to methods, and these are represented in more than 500 lobbies, including ZigZag777 and Ozwin. For e-wallets, more than 450 accept Skrill, including ComeOn, and over 80 are friendly to PayPal, including BetZest.

E-wallets are the fastest to process withdrawal requests, and it should not take longer than 24 hours. For cards and bank transfers, reserve between one to three days to get your wins. There are no taxes on gambling wins from these international lobbies. The local banks will allow gambling-related transactions.

Indian online gambling sites offer a mix of in-country and internationally popular studios. Rocksalt Interactive that recently joined YGS Masters, as well as ReelFeel Gaming are currently two of the most famous native startups making their way to international stardom. Rocksalt’s team already scores recognition in the community, with its partner Yggdrasil characterizing it the following way:

“Rocksalt Interactive is a highly-regarded global game designer. We are thrilled to be working alongside a great team that can boost the diversity of games that we offer. The company develops a number of popular global free-to-play games, and we are sure that its team of qualified designers will produce new and exciting content that will appeal to a wide audience.”

Two of the other popular content providers particularly loved by the Indian gamblers are IndiSlots and Super Spade Games. This latter is the live dealer content developer streaming its releases from the Studio in eastern Europe. It was the first out of many live dealer suppliers to add traditional Indian table games to its selection, including Andar Bahar and Teen Patti. 

When it comes to slots, everything celebrating Indian culture immediately gains extreme popularity and recognition among players. Some out of many reeled releases always actively played in India-friendly lobbies are Durga by Endorphina, Ganesha Fortune by Pocket Games Soft, Bollywood Billions by Swintt, and Lotus Land by Konami.

While India remains in denial of the current gambling activity, the origins of some of the oldest games can be traced back to this country, including Snakes and Ladders, chess, carrom, ludo, and polo. 

Gambling in India is also a story with faces. For instance, Jaidev Modi is the most prominent gambler. Once a regular at Caravela, the first casino-ship cruising near Goa, Modi won big on the games of chance, becoming one of the first jackpot winners in the country.