Play Legal Online Casino in India
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If you are starting your gambling journey and want to find a legal casino in India, you’re in the right place! Join the friendly club of gamblers to have fun with online gaming activities. In this article, we’ll tell you how Indian law classifies games and common gaming houses. We’ll talk about the Public gaming act and general gaming laws in India. Stay tuned to be aware of all the gambling essentials!
Is it Legal to Play Online Casino in India?
If you are new to online gambling, it helps to know the legislation regarding gaming activities in India. There are no gambling laws prohibiting online casinos within the country. However, it is impossible to access online gaming services at local casino operators. So, punters must register at licensed offshore gambling sites to play games and claim bonuses. Read further to learn about India’s gambling history and the legality of online casinos.
List of Legal Online Casinos in India
Although online casinos cannot be operated locally in India, there are several legitimate offshore platforms dedicated to servicing this region. So, you can access quality games, attractive payouts, secure payment methods, and excellent customer support. Here is a list of legal online casinos in India:
- CasinoDays
- BlueChip
- Big Baazi
- LopeBet
- Lucky Spins
- Pure Win
- Rabona
- 20Bet
- Bettilt
The History of Gambling in India
The Public Gambling Act was the first law regulating gambling activities in India. But it banned all forms of gambling without any provisions for online casinos. Also, the Information Technology Act enacted in 2000 omitted legislation for online gambling. Recently, the government passed new laws allowing states to control their gambling activities. Now, there are physical casinos in Sikkim, Daman, and Goa, plus government-owned lotteries in 13 states. However, locally operated online casinos are not permitted in India. The closest thing to a casino site was the Sikkim Playwin Lottery, but it was actually a government-approved platform.
An integral aspect of India’s gambling laws to consider is the selective legality of games. According to their legislation, only skill games like poker and rummy are legal. Games based on chance, such as slots, blackjack, roulette, and baccarat, are banned. Therefore, punters can access numerous poker and rummy-specific casino sites like Pokerstars and Jungle Rummy. The first ever licensed poker gaming site in India, Khelo365, has been launched in the State of Nagaland. However, other states, including Gujarat, Assam, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana, uphold strict laws against all forms of online games.
Finally, the legal landscape is a grey area because there are no specific laws banning online gambling in India. Also, there are no internet protocols to block websites or IP addresses from outside the country.
What is a Casino License?
A casino license is a document giving a company the right to own an online gambling business within a particular jurisdiction. Whether land-based or online, casinos must possess a valid license to prove their legitimacy. In India, games of skill are the only legal form of gambling. Therefore, the government requires operators to have a license covering their target regions if they wish to offer games of chance, such as slots, table games, and sports betting. However, obtaining a gambling license is a rigorous process that costs money and compels operators to comply with industry regulations.
The nature of gambling regulations differs in each territory. While some are strict, others offer lenient legislation. For instance, the UK Gambling Commission is known for being tough, while the Curacao eGaming Authority is less stringent. Asides from providing licenses, the gambling authorities also punish players operating illegally. It is crucial to ascertain the availability of a licence to enjoy a safe gaming experience on the casino site. Though the registration procedure might be rigorous, a license is the hallmark of a reliable online casino.
Licensed casinos vs. Regulated casinos
We have established the importance of licenses in the gambling industry. However, the licensing depends on the gambling legislation within a jurisdiction. A country regulates its online gaming sector internally or allows casino sites to obtain offshore licenses. Several reputable international gaming authorities provide casino operators worldwide with licences, such as the Malta Gaming Authority, the Curacao Gaming Authority, and the Alderney Gambling Control Commission. However, some countries prefer to maintain control of their online gambling industry. Thus, they form local licensing authorities to regulate their casino sites. These include the United Kingdom Gambling Commission and the Swedish Gambling Authority.
If the regulated casinos in a country limit the extent of its gambling services, punters can opt for licensed casinos. The latter is known for providing an extensive collection of games and generous bonuses with minimal restrictions. The table below highlights the differences between licensed and regulated casinos.
| Licensed Casinos | Regulated Casinos |
They offer gambling services to players from different countries. | Their services are limited to a particular region. |
Licensed casinos mostly provide games across all popular categories. | Some casino games might be restricted at regulated casinos. |
They are licensed by top regulatory bodies like the Malta Gaming Authority and the Curacao eGaming Authority. | These platforms are regulated by local licensing bodies like the UK Gambling Commission and the Danish Gambling Authority. |
International Gambling Licences
There are numerous international gambling authorities providing licenses to casino operators. These bodies cover countries within different regions, ensuring online casinos prioritise customer safety and obey gambling regulations. We briefly highlight a few organisations offering international gambling licenses below.
Before you jump into descriptions of the authorities, we want to emphasise an extremely important moment. No matter how hard various institutions try to protect you from fraud and addiction, you’re the most responsible for the consequences of your gambling behaviour. Cara Bertoia, in her book “Cruise Quarters – a Novel About Casinos and Cruise Ships” has noticed:
” It’s hard to walk away from a winning streak, even harder to leave the table when you’re on a losing one.”
Keep track of your actions, and don’t let emotions take control over you. Learn and follow the principles of responsible gambling so that nothing can spoil this extremely fun and exciting entertainment for you.
- Malta Gaming Authority
- Curacao eGaming Authority
- Alderney Gambling Control Commission
- Gibraltar Licensing Authority
Malta Gaming Authority is one of the biggest international regulatory bodies worldwide. They conduct a rigorous screening procedure before providing authentic licenses to casino sites in the European market. Aside from the licensing, MGA also issues gambling regulations and enforces compliance among online casinos within its jurisdiction.
Casino sites can access four classes of licenses at the Malta Gaming Authority. While the first type permits the platforms to offer games of chance with RNG-determined results, the other types allow them to organise games with event-based outcomes, such as sports betting and poker. Also, MGA does not charge the monthly compliance fee for the first 12 months of the gambling business.
Although Curacao is a tiny island in the Caribbean, it plays a crucial role in the online gambling industry. This body is known for its simple licensing procedure and affordable licensing fees. The Curacao eGaming Authority provides master licenses and sub-licenses. There are four master license holders, which supply new operators with the sub-licenses.
What makes the Curacao eGaming Authority special is that it covers all forms of gambling under one license. It differs from other jurisdictions like the UKGC, where casino sites require separate licenses. Furthermore, they charge a 0% corporate income tax and a 2% net gains tax.
The Alderney Gambling Control Commission is a regulatory body launched in May 2000. It supervises all online gambling activities within the Island. Although Alderney is a small island with a population under 2,000, they are among the whitelisted exceptions to the UK Gambling Act 2005. Therefore, regional operators are licensed by the Alderney Gambling Control Commission and can operate within the United Kingdom.
The Gibraltar Licensing Authority is arguably the most exclusive gambling body in the industry. It has some of the toughest regulations, making this body the gold standard for trustworthiness. To secure a license, GLA requires online casinos to highlight a business plan, prove financial solvency, and perform transactions using Gibraltar-based banks. This gambling authority is known to only offer licenses to reputable operators with other authentic licenses.
Regulated Gambling Licences
Regulated gambling licenses are those found at online casinos with a local licensing body. They work within a specific jurisdiction, regulating gambling activities and ensuring operators comply with the country’s legislation. The best-regulated gambling licenses are provided by the following organisations.
Before proceeding to read about each of them in detail, here’s a table where you can find their contacts.
| Organisation | |
licensing@gamblingcommission.gov.uk | |
mail@spillemyndigheden.dk | |
registrator@spelinspektionen.se | |
customs.legislazione.aeo@adm.gov.it |
United Kingdom Gambling Commission
The United Kingdom Gambling Commission oversees online gambling within the country. They require online casinos to obtain separate licenses depending on their services. UKGC licenses include five types for remote betting and others for the remaining gambling forms. Furthermore, their approval process takes up to 16 weeks, which is one of the longest.
Online gambling laws were lenient until 2014, when the country banned services from all regions, including whitelisted ones like Gibraltar and Malta. So, casino sites must hold a United Kingdom Gambling Commission license to operate in the UK.
Danish Gambling Authority
The Danish Ministry of Taxation was established by the Danish Gambling Authority in 2000. For the first decade, their responsibility was to manage the gambling machines installed in casinos, eateries, stations, etc. In January 2013, the Danish Gambling Authority was made a separate organisation with a director.
It was now their responsibility to regulate the administration of their own gambling laws, including those governing lotteries, wagering, internet casinos, gaming machines, open poker competitions, and land-based casinos. They also grant licenses to operate casinos and monitor the gambling markets.
Swedish Gambling Authority
With the new Gambling Act in 2018, the Lottery Gambling Authority was replaced by the Swedish Gambling Authority. This organisation governs all legal gambling in the nation, including casinos, sportsbooks, lotteries, and bingo. Brick-and-mortar casinos are owned by the government, while reputable operators can operate online casinos and sportsbooks.
A local representation in Sweden is a requirement for any online license holder from outside the nation who doesn’t live in the European Economic Area (EEA). The license for online commercial gambling and that of online commercial sports betting is priced at SEK 400,000 each, with the option for operators to pay SEK 700,000 to receive both.
Italian Agency of Customs and Monopolies
The ADM is Italy’s highest gambling regulatory agency. They grant licenses to potential gaming companies and supervise their activities. The Italian laws on criminal activities still forbid gambling, even with the lack of skilled and luck-based games. The law in Italy does not permit playing bingo, online lottery, virtual sports betting, and other online gambling games unless the operators have an ADM license.
Before 2000, casino gambling was entirely banned in Italy. However, the business has since gradually become more liberal. The ADM, formerly known as AAMS, was in charge of granting licenses and policing the gambling industry until 2014. After it changed its name to ADM, the new organisation now regulates all forms of gambling in Italy and issues licenses to potential land-based gaming operators and online betting platforms. Italy currently maintains a stringent policy regarding gaming licenses and provides licenses in a constrained number for different games.
Conclusion
If you live in India and have decided to play online casino games, knowing the country’s legislation regarding them is essential. Although online gambling is not illegal, Indian punters are prohibited from accessing gambling services via local casino operators. Therefore, they must register at online casinos with offshore licenses to enjoy quality casino gaming and sports betting services. This article provides adequate information to kickstart your gambling journey in India.
