Every country has different regulations when it comes to gambling, but we can divide them into three basic categories: those that allow it completely, those that prohibit it completely, and those that allow it partially. So, what is the situation in India? This is a question that can be complicated to answer since it is a country made up of states, and whether gambling is legal or not depends on where you reside.

For example, live roulette software may be legal in one state but illegal in another. Here, we will try to answer all the questions you may have in mind by doing a detailed analysis of the legality of gambling in India. If you want to take a look at an up-to-date list of casinos where you can try your luck following the law, we recommend you visit the Roulette77 platform.

Federal Laws vs State Laws

In India, the federal law on the subject dates back to 1867 and is called The Public Gambling Act. This law bans all land-based businesses for gambling purposes at the federal level. This applies to both operators and players. For example, an operator can be punished with a fine of ₹200 or imprisonment for up to three months. For a player, it is ₹100 or imprisonment for up to one month.

Although this is a fairly old law, relatively modern regulations also include the same prohibition. For example, the Information Technology Act (2000) has also declared online versions of “games of chance” illegal. However, since the terms “gambling” and “betting” are not used in the law, it is left to the courts to interpret the legality of these online activities, and in this respect, it is possible to say that there is a legal loophole. Some courts interpret the law narrowly, while others interpret it broadly. This has led to the emergence of mobile betting applications for popular sports such as cricket and horse racing: their legality is still debatable, but it is possible to say that their use is permissible as long as they are limited to popular sports. However, the rules for mobile apps that include online casino games are much stricter: they are not allowed.

But these are federal regulations: India is a country made up of states and is similar to the United States in many ways. This means that states can make their own regulations regarding the legality of gambling. In other words, any state can legalize gambling within its borders, and so far, there are three states that have done so.

States Where Gambling is Legal

The Goa, Daman, and Diu Public Gambling Act of 1976 legalized land-based gambling in the following states in India:

• Daman
• Sikkim
• Goa

As of May 2025, land-based casinos are legal only in these states. Each state regulates them differently. For example:

• Sikkim has only two casinos and a third has not been licensed for years.
• Daman only allows casinos to operate on the ground floor of five-star hotels (or on boats on the river).
• Goa has the most liberal regulations in this regard. There are ten casinos in the state, more than half of which are on boats on the Mandovi River.

As of 2022, these states have also legalized online gambling. Sikkim continues to actively license online operators, but this comes with certain restrictions, such as not being able to offer promotions and bonuses that encourage gambling. In Goa and Daman, the annual licensing fee for land-based casinos can be as high as INR 44,00,00,000. These states also charge the same fee for online casinos (and offshore operators). In Sikkim, the licensing fee is much lower at INR 5,00,00,000.

The Future of Legal Gambling in India

The fact that gambling is legal in only three states does not mean that it is not present in other states of India. On the contrary, illegal gambling is one of the biggest problems in the country and constitutes an unregulated market of around $30 billion per year. The International Cricket Council (ICC) has long been lobbying for the legalization of sports betting, at least, and it can be said to be successful to some extent, since, as we mentioned above, mobile betting on cricket and horse racing is practically ignored. However, the government and other states continue to have a strict stance on other types of betting and casino games.

For example, the states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh banned online gambling outright in 2020 and imposed sanctions that included up to one year in prison for players and operators. While the Indian government has indicated several times that it is considering revising the 1867 federal law, none of these have come to fruition. In this respect, the current situation is not expected to change in the near future: gambling in India is likely to remain legal in only three states for a long time to come.