You might not have thought it, but India is actually one of the largest gambling industries in the world. Of course, the population in this country is massive, but the real driving force is the sheer interest that people have for online gambling in this part of the world. Now, there is a catch to the Indian gambling market, however, for it is thought that around half of all the bets placed are made illegally. Whether this is through off-shore gambling accounts, local underground shops, or other methods, the fact remains that the industry is still somewhat unregulated.
This is a rather intriguing fact when you consider that the Indian gambling market is rumored to be worth upwards of $60 billion per year. This is a pretty staggering figure, yet it is still concerning when you think about the determination of certain players to make wagers, regardless of the legal implications.
Within this post, we thought we’d take a look and check out what the regulations in India actually are. It’s important to familiarise yourself with this information if you are planning on making a bet in India, so let’s get right on with it.
Online sports betting
Watching sport is absolutely huge in India, especially for sports such as cricket. For this reason, it is perfectly understandable that people based here have a keen interest in betting on sports too, yet at the time of writing, online betting brands from India are incredibly restricted. To reiterate a point we’ve mentioned earlier, this is precisely why Indian sports bettors look to open accounts with brands that are located overseas.
Now, this activity is actually perfectly legal, and most overseas betting brands are perfectly happy to allow Indian based players to sign up. This is where the confusion sometimes comes into play, as brands that are based in India are technically not allowed, but brands with registered addresses overseas can be utilized by Indian sports bettors.
Some players choose to use a VPN for extra security when opening overseas accounts, but it is completely up to you whether you do this or not.
Physical casinos
Again, this is an interesting category that relates to gambling legislation in India. On the whole, physical casinos are completely banned, as they violate the fundamental rules of only allowing lottery and horse racing gambling. However, there are a couple of states where physical casinos have now been approved, as seen with Sikkim and Goa. In fact, within these two states, there are more than 15 casinos that you can happily go and make a bet in.
As you can imagine, since India is a rather large country, it isn’t always a viable option for players to go and make a bet in these casinos. That’s where the online landscape then becomes highly attractive for players, as it’s simply more convenient to log in to an account than it is to travel hundreds of miles to a casino.
Online account restrictions
Since Indian players are pretty reliant on opening accounts with brands that are located elsewhere, this doesn’t mean that Indian players are free from meeting account restrictions. For most brands that players sign up with, you still need to be over the age of 18 in order to place any kind of bets online. Most sites will ask that you verify these details too, so do be prepared to send through proof of ID, either through a driving license or passport.
With this said, certain brands will only accept deposits through specific methods too, which is specifically to accommodate players wanting to deposit in rupees rather than the local currency in which the brand operates. Keeping this in mind, it is rather common to find sites accepting deposits only through certain e-wallets like Neteller or Skrill. The good news is that it is quick and free to open e-wallet accounts with these providers, so you can easily get set up.
Closing comments
As we hope you have discovered through this brief post, online gambling is possible in India, but there are certain things that you have to keep in mind. Aspects such as using a VPN and ensuring that you have the necessary deposit methods available to you are critical. If you have these measures in place, you are all set to enjoy online gambling in India.
To conclude, we would like to wish you every success with your betting activities, regardless of what kind of online gambling you plan to get involved with!
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