Gambling Websites In India
- Online Gambling Websites In India
- Best Websites India
- Cricket Gambling Sites In India
- Top Gambling Sites In India
- Gaming Websites In India
Online casino sites in India are similar to live dealer casinos in many ways. However, more players prefer to live dealer activities as opposed to online casino sections. One common reason why players like live casino games are that they give the players a chance to enjoy the traditional casino experience without having to travel to the casinos. Best Mobile-Friendly Gambling Sites in India: There are over 1.3 billion people in India, and many of them are obsessed with gambling, both online and offline. This isn’t surprising considering this fun pastime activity is set deep in the roots of Indian culture. It allowed the Reserve Bank of India to come up with policies on payment processing. Payment and deposits made to overseas sites by gamblers could now be investigated and blocked. Sikkim was the first state to legalize online betting in 2008. The progress on licensing online gambling sites in this state has been dismal. Legal betting sites in India. There are hundreds of sportsbooks and bookmakers providing services to specific countries, operating globally online or off-shore to markets where gambling is restricted.
India has enormous potential as an online gambling market thanks to a growing middle class and widespread internet access. However, not all of the world’s major gambling sites go out of their way to cater to Indians. Every site is different in deposit methods, languages offered, sports covered and other forms of gambling on offer.
Furthermore, India’s fragmented state-level gambling laws create a situation that is confusing for both players and operators. Our purpose here is to make sense of the situation and recommend the best Indian gambling sites. We begin first with a quick look at the best gambling sites for Indian players and then continue below with a current discussion of the state of online gambling in India today.
There are two key considerations to keep in mind when choosing where to gamble online in India. First and most important is the safety of your funds. Whenever you play online, you should only do so with sites that are proven to be safe, fair and financially stable. Our top-rated Indian gambling sites meet those standards for fair play.
Second, is how far they go to cater to Indian players. This includes offering real money cricket betting for sports fans, providing real money casino games for gamblers, online poker for poker players and making it easy to deposit and withdraw using rupees.
Best Indian Gambling Sites
The following comparison shows why we believe these are the best gambling sites in India and what each has to offer.
Betway
- 100% up to ₹2500
- International Sports Betting
- In-Play Cricket Betting
- Online Casino Games
- Real Money Poker
- Online Bingo
- Fast Cashouts
www.betway.com
ComeOn
- 100% up to €25
- International Sports Betting
- In-Play Cricket Betting
- Online Casino Games
- Real Money Poker
- Fast Cashouts
www.comeon.com
One of the nice things about gambling online in India is we have access to casinos that are licensed and regulated in other parts of the world. Because our gambling laws do not specifically outlaw online gambling at the national level, online casinos and sports betting sites that are licensed in places such as the UK and Malta are able to provide their services to India.
Even though we do not have a national regulatory agency, we still benefit from the strict regulations imposed on gambling sites licensed elsewhere. The UK Gambling Commission, for example, is arguably the most respected online gambling regulator in the world. They closely monitor gambling sites for fair play, truly random games and honest advertising.
Although the UK Gambling Commission has no legal authority in India, we can still play at sites that adhere to the UK’s strict rules. Playing at gambling sites licensed in other countries is much safer than playing at local sites that operate entirely underground and with no oversight. This is why we recommend large, international gambling sites for Indians.
Safety is just one of the factors we consider in recommending gambling sites for Indians. Other things we take into consideration include:
- Ease of Depositing: Recommended gambling sites must offer simple deposit methods that work in India – even better if they do not require currency conversions.
- Withdrawal Speeds: The surest sign that a gambling site respects its customers is offering fast withdrawals. We consider this a “must have” when deciding which sites to recommend.
- Sports Betting Options: The best Indian gambling sites should cover cricket and football extensively. In-play betting for cricket and other sports is a must-have as well. We also expect recommended gambling sites to cover all of the world’s major sports.
- Casino Games: We look for gambling sites that offer full casinos in addition to sports. The casino section must include all the casino classics such as blackjack, roulette, baccarat and so on in addition to slots.
- Real Money Poker: Gambling sites that offer real money multiplayer poker are ranked higher than sites without poker. Sites with poker should have active tables, large tournaments and multiple game types at all stakes of play.
- Reputation: We always take into account a site’s general reputation on the web. Over time, it is easy to tell which gambling sites have done a good job keeping customers happy and which have engendered widespread criticism from former customers.
Making Deposits and Getting Paid
The best Indian gambling sites understand our banking system and make sure to offer deposit and withdrawal methods that work well for us. The first thing to consider when depositing is the currency you will be using. Assuming you plan to deposit with rupees, you need to find an online casino or betting site that accepts rupee deposits.
There are two ways to go with this. Ideally, you will find a site that accepts rupee deposits by default. That is, you do not have to perform a currency conversion to fund your account. It is even better if you can find a site that will allow you to hold your entire balance in rupees, place bets in rupees and play gambling games in rupees.
Betway is the only major gambling site we know of that offers this functionality. Betway is our top picks for several reasons, but also because it plays so nicely with rupees. Betway is the easiest gambling sites to play at from within India because of this.
If your gambling site does not provide native support of rupees, it should at least perform currency conversions for you. All other Indian gambling sites offer this capability. When you deposit with rupees, your gambling site will convert your rupees to a different currency of your choice (usually US dollars, euros or British pounds). When you withdraw, your gambling site will then convert your money back into rupees.
The second issue to figure out is which deposit method you will be using. Our banking system is highly regulated and that can make it difficult to find easy ways to deposit. For example, deposits made with credit or debit cards are often rejected.
You can attempt to deposit with a debit or credit card, and it may work – but do not be surprised or alarmed if your deposit is rejected. This is simply because banking regulations tend to reject certain types of transactions automatically.
Generally, the best way to deposit online from India is with an e-wallet or a prepaid card. Some of the most popular and most effective deposit methods for Indian gambling sites include:
- Entropay: Entropay is a virtual prepaid card that you can fund online using your existing credit card, debit card or banks transfer. After you have a funded virtual card, you can then use it to fund your online gambling account.
- AstroPay: AstroPay is similar to Entropay in that it serves as a virtual debit card that you can use to fund your gambling account without being rejected. If you have had trouble depositing with your personal credit or debit card, AstroPay and Entropay are two great alternatives. You can fund AstroPay cards with a credit card, debit card, ATM transfer and bank transfer.
- Skrill: Skrill is an e-wallet that you can use to make deposits and also to receive cashouts from Indian gambling sites. Your online Skrill account can be funded with credit card, debit card, instant online banking or bank transfer. Once you have a Skrill account, you will find it easy to make deposits and withdrawals at numerous gambling sites.
- Neteller: Neteller is also an e-wallet that works in basically the same manner as Skrill. If you don’t like or can’t use Skrill for any reason, Neteller is just as good. Both are accepted by most major gambling sites.
Online Sports Betting in India
Sports betting is prohibited in the real-world in India, but that has not stopped a huge market from developing nonetheless. It has been estimated at various points that illegal sports betting is a $150 billion industry in India, with underground local bookies and online sports betting accounting for nearly all of that money.
While authorities do attempt to crack down on real world bookies, we have seen almost no action taken against international sports betting sites that operate in India. The government does block certain types of credit card deposits to known sports betting sites, but even that has failed to put a dent in the amount of money wagered on sports every year.
Our legal system is simply too out of date to take action against sports betting OR to legalize it. In fact, the legalization of sports betting is one of the bigger debates happening right now. Some lawmakers have expressed strong support for formally legalizing sports betting under the argument that it happens anyways right now, so we might as well at least regulate it and tax it. The Sports Ministry is said to be in the process of forming a legal and regulatory framework should sports betting ever be legalized.
Regulation and taxation would accomplish several objectives. It would bring the entire industry back into view of the authorities. Licensed bookmakers in India would be better equipped to notify authorities of suspicious betting and suspected match fixing incidents. It would also generate new tax revenues, create new employment opportunities and direct more resources to combat problem gambling.
On the other side are those who argue against legal sports betting in India. People on this side worry that the long-term effect would be to normalize sports betting even more than it already is to the detriment of society as a whole.
As you are probably well aware, legislation takes forever to wind its way through our legal system. In the meantime, millions of Indians bet on cricket, football, horse races and a whole range of other sports online every day and will likely continue doing so until major changes are made to our gambling laws.
Cricket Betting Online
You will be glad to know that nearly every online bookmaker in the world supports cricket betting. Betting sites that operate here in India offer extensive cricket betting options, including all international matches involving India. Whether it’s the Ashes Series, Twenty20 matches or the World Cup, you will never have a shortage of cricket betting opportunities at an Indian betting site.
The best Indian bookmakers take odds on much more than just the winner of any given match. You will also find odds on who will win the toss, total runs, most match sixes, 1st wicket method, top team bowler, top batsman and much more.
Most sites also offer in-play cricket betting, which allows you to bet on matches in real time as they happen. While you watch cricket on TV, you can log on to your gambling account to place short-term wagers on who will score next and much more with odds that are constantly updated. Some sites even stream live video of cricket matches so you can watch online.
All Other Sports
We may be biased towards cricket, but that is hardly the only sport covered by major betting sites. In addition to cricket, you can bet on football online, Formula 1, all major North American sports such as the NFL and NBA, golf, e-sports, bowls and much more.
Casino Games
Gambling is controlled mostly at the state level in India, which means each state has the authority to define what is legal within state boundaries. Goa, Sikkim and Daman have all passed legislation allowing land-based casinos to operate. Of these, Goa is best known as the main place to play traditional games such as blackjack, roulette and slots in the real world.
Online gambling is more restricted in India, although Sikkim and Nagaland have authorized certain types of games to be offered by licensed operators. Legal difficulties have complicated the issue, however, and the legality of sites licensed in Sikkim remains in question.
Wherever you live in India, we recommend the major gambling sites listed at the top of this page. All of those sites provide service to all Indians across the country. These sites are best known for sports betting, but all of them also include online casino games of all types. In fact, the best Indian gambling sites provide hundreds of casino games of all different types.
Online Gambling Websites In India
There are also reports that underground gambling dens are numerous in India, but we strongly recommend avoiding those. If you want to gamble in the real world, it is much safer to do so at large casinos located in Goa and Sikkim. Underground gambling operations are completely unregulated and there are no guarantees that the games are safe. Furthermore, you can be arrested for simply being found in an underground, unlicensed casino.
Online gambling is much safer from both a legal and personal safety standpoint. First, the biggest international casinos are held to high standards by regulators in their home countries. Second, the police are not out looking for people playing games online at home. Stick to online casinos for maximum safety and minimal legal risk. That being said, there are still questions regarding the legality of playing online no matter where you may be doing it.
Online Poker in India
Out of all the different forms of gaming available in India, poker has become the most widely accepted by the government. The state of Nagaland passed legislation in 2016 classifying games such as poker, rummy, chess and fantasy sports as “games of skill.” Nagaland was then able to issue licenses to several poker sites that now operate with the full blessing of the government.
Best Websites India
Three of the larger and more well-known licensed poker sites in India include:
- Khelo365
- Adda52
- Pokerbaazi
These sites are also authorized to accept customers from all other states that do not restrict games of skill. The website of Khelo365, for example, states that customers from Assam and Orissa are not permitted to play for real money.
If you live in a state where online poker is not permitted or would simply like to play somewhere else, our recommended gambling sites also offer real money poker. At those sites, you can play online with other players from around the world.
Underground poker games still thrive in India by all accounts, but the government’s willingness to embrace online poker has given players additional options. In most states, people can now play online with nothing to hide and at games that are well-regulated. The days of dealing with secretive poker games are long gone for most of us.
Indian Online Gambling Laws
Our gambling laws are badly out of date and there is much confusion regarding what is legal and what is not, but momentum is building for legal online gambling in India. Recent legal updates and mounting pressure from would-be operators have led to some positive changes in recent times. In some parts of India, certain types of online gambling are already happening with the blessing of the local government.
Cricket Gambling Sites In India
We will get into more legal details on our page dedicated specifically to gaming laws in India, but the main thing to know up front is that it would be a good idea to check with your local laws before you play online. We do our best to keep up to date with federal and state gambling laws, but things can change quickly and different courts can interpret similar laws differently so we cannot guarantee that what is legal for one person in one part of India is legal for you as well.
One other thing we can say up front is that online gambling is widespread in India and we do not know of any people getting in trouble for playing online from the privacy of home. The state of Madhya Pradesh arrested some people for gambling online in a cyber-café as a part of an operation targeting a big-time gambling ringleader who openly flouted the law for years, but there have been no reports of anyone getting in trouble for gambling online in private.
As far as playing online in private at home goes, Indian citizens have so far been left free to do as they wish. Existing national gambling laws offer a blanket prohibition over most forms of gambling in the real world, but there is still significant debate as to whether those laws apply to playing online. In any case, there appears to be no enforcement mechanism to enforce the ban even if it was interpreted to apply to online gambling.
This is why many of the world’s biggest international gambling sites happily accept Indian players and offer a full range of online casino games, poker, sports betting, bingo, backgammon, rummy and more.
Top Gambling Sites In India
A policy of discretion is your best bet in keeping safe from a legal perspective. India’s gambling laws are in a state of flux right now and the safest thing to do is keep it restricted to home and only play online. Real-world gambling is definitely prohibited, but the laws regarding online gambling are not as clear cut.
Gaming Websites In India
We believe the risk is low, but the fact of the matter is the law is open to interpretation and there is always risk in such a situation. We cannot guarantee that gambling is a good idea from a legal standpoint. If you want to be completely sure, you should avoid gambling online altogether.