India's Gambling Market 2024

India's gambling scene has been quite complex for some time now. Both online and offline worlds don't have a consistent and direct way forward. The primary reason behind this is that India has 27 separate states within. Each of these has its own government creating laws relating to their land. India's central government used to have much more power in days gone by. Yet today, state government hold a lot more importance. Because of this, gambling laws in India vary from state to state. 

It is relevant to refer to the legal status of gambling in India with the Public Gambling Act of 1867. At that time, India was still under British rule. Through this law, anyone found owning or entering a public gaming house is committing a crime. Fines and/or imprisonment are both punishments possible for such activity. Games of skill are not included within that act, though. 

While some consider poker not to be a game of skill, the majority do. Thus, it remains a legal game within India. Horse racing betting is also considered a game of skill, which makes it a legal activity. India's states are also allowed to operate their own lotteries. This comes about as part of the 1998 Lotteries Act. Even so, not all states do have such for residents to partake in. 

Meanwhile, as of 2022, casino gambling is also permitted in some Indian states. Thus, a few safe casinos exist within these locations. The general consensus on this type of gambling is that it is illegal across India, though. 

Regulation for online gambling isn't something that India provides on the whole. While considered to be illegal based on the prohibition of physical venues, law enforcement is low. As of 2022, there have been few reports of punishments for online gambling. Various offshore sites exist for India's gamblers to visit and join. It is not difficult to find an online casino in Indian rupees, making for a more local experience.

One State With Gambling Regulations in Place 

There is a single Indian state that has gambling regulations in place - Sikkim. Found in the Northeast of the country, the Sikkim On-line Gaming (Regulation) Act was launched in 2008. Not long after the regulation of providing online gambling licences came. Through this state's act, various types of casino games are legal to play online. This does not include any online casino slots, though. Instead, players can access blackjack, roulette, baccarat, bingo, poker, keno and others. 

Later on, online sports betting became a part of the legal gambling activities in Sikkim. Lottery operator PlayWin received the state's first online gambling licence. 

As things stand at the moment, several other Indian states are looking to legalise gambling online. As of the end of 2022, none have managed to introduce it yet, though. This is why gamblers tend to turn to offshore casinos and sportsbooks instead. They still face difficulties through these, despite not facing prosecution. It can be the case that these platforms get restricted by ISPs in India. At the same time, payments via Visa and Mastercard can often fail. To get around these issues, Indian gamblers turn to alternative payment methods. 

India Emerging as a Gambling Hub 

There could be good news on the horizon for the Indian gambling industry, though. The Gaming Report FY 2022 suggests that it offers a fast and growing market. The full-year report announced that the gaming market stood at $2.6 billion. Expectations for a further growth of 27% by 2027 can only mean good things. The current revenue source comes from real money games. Yet by 2027, many believe the majority will come from in-app purchases. This means that mobile gambling could become the central focus in India. 

For the entirety of 2022, India was the largest consumer of mobile games. Of course, it is also one of the most populous countries in the world, too. Even so, its market is three times the size of the USA's and two-and-a-half times the size of China's. Most investments in the sector have come since 2020. That coincides with the period of COVID-19 problems. 

New technologies have also come to light in the country. Web3 incorporates concepts such as VR, decentralisation, AR and metaverse. It is becoming much more common for the utilisation of this in games, according to the report. Web3 games in India raised around $400 million in funding between 2019 and 2022. 

Looking at sports betting, cricket remains a popular sport in India. Europeans may be emphatic with betting on football, but Indians are the same with cricket. Hockey and, indeed, football remain favourites with many people, too, though. European leagues and tournaments gain most of the focus for bettors, though. Tennis and the local game of kabaddi are also very popular for bettors. Many of the largest casinos in the world also feature sportsbooks. Often, they will support registrations from India, too. This means that they effectively provide both gaming and betting in one.