India

As the Indian government has not adopted any licensing system regarding the online sports betting sector, the sportsbooks can not physically operate within the country's borders. However, the current IND gambling legislation, apart from the states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, doesn't prohibit offshore sportsbooks or gambling sites from accepting Indians as customers or Indians from placing wagers on such platforms.

Luckily for the Indians, multiple online sportsbooks operate with proper offshore licenses, such as those obtained from the Malta Gaming Authority or The Curaçao Gaming Control Board, which accept bets from India. As the current legislation doesn't restrict these offshore sportsbooks from offering specific betting markets, basically all forms of online sports betting are available for Indians, including eSports and fantasy sports.

Horse racing is also a major sport in India, and the first racecourse was established in the country all the way back in 1777. Therefore, it's no surprise that horse race betting is a very popular avenue of entertainment in India.

India’s Evolving Gambling Industry: Key Updates

• March 14, 2025: A Digital India Foundation (DIF) report reveals that India’s weak gambling regulations have fueled $100 billion in illicit deposits, with offshore operators evading taxes and laundering money through cryptocurrency and mule accounts, despite enforcement efforts.

• January 8, 2025: India's Ministry of Finance has empowered the DGGI to block online gaming sites and apps evading 28% GST on real-money skill games. Previously requiring approval from the IT Ministry, the DGGI can now directly issue takedown notices to non-compliant operators.

• December 2, 2024: The CCI investigates Google after Winzo accused it of unfairly favoring certain real-money gaming (RMG) apps. Winzo claims Google's 2022 pilot program, which allowed Daily Fantasy Sports and Rummy apps on the Play Store, gave platforms like Dream11 an unfair advantage, The Indian Express rep

• September 10, 2024: India's GST Council will maintain the 28% turnover tax on online gambling, casinos, and horse race betting, implemented in October 2023. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman reported a 412% surge in online gambling revenue, reaching ₹6,909 Crore ($823m) between November and April.

• August 8, 2024: India may soon allow 100% Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) for real-money gaming companies via an automatic route, easing the impact of the recent 28% GST. This measure will enable skill-based gaming startups to raise foreign capital without official approval, boosting the sector. However, it won't apply to games of chance like online casinos and sports betting.

• July 25, 2024: The 2024 Summer Olympics begin in Paris, and the Indian contingent consists of 110 competitors spread around in 16 different sports. Table tennis player Sharath Kamal and badminton player P. V. Sindhu were named the Indian flag-bearers at the Olympics opening ceremony.

• May 26, 2024: Kolkata Knight Riders claims its third IPL championship title by beating Sunrisers Hyderabad in the 2024 Indian Premier League final by eight wickets. Mitchell Starc from Kolkata Knight Riders was selected as the player of the match, and his teammate, Sunil Narine, claimed the MVP honor for the third time in his career.

Even though the federal laws have not explicitly forbid online casino gambling, only a handful of Indian states, namely Goa, Daman, and Sikkim, have properly legalized such activity. However, thus far, there are no reports of Indian players having faced prosecution for online gambling. Having said this, if you want to play it safe, you should only access online casinos and other Internet gambling platforms from the aforementioned Indian states.

Earlier, Indian gambling law controlled all physical casinos that offered sports bets such as horse racing and lotteries. Today, land-based and online casinos operate legally under the Public Gambling Act of 1976 in Sikkim, Goa, Nagaland, and Daman, all of which have incorporated more games and modern gaming techniques into their systems.

Online poker is permitted in India, as it is viewed more as a game of skill, like sports betting, than a game of change. In addition to this, a total of 13 Indian states offer legal lottery.

The crossover between Bollywood and gambling

Bollywood has never quite figured out how to handle gambling. In 1950s classics like Baazi and Shree 420, gambling was portrayed as a slippery slope decision that just waited to blow up in one way or another. These films carried a clear message: gambling is risky, and eventually, luck always runs out.

Modern films have tried to add complexity, but often, the attempts fail. Teen Patti (2010) introduced mathematics and probability, yet the story quickly spiraled into melodrama instead of exploring fundamental gambling strategies. Jannat (2008) teased an unfiltered look at cricket betting, but in the end, it followed the Bollywood formula—glorify the rise, punishes the fall.

The real issue is that Bollywood rarely treats gambling as anything but a moral test. In reality, many gamblers rely on skill, knowledge, and discipline rather than blind luck. But instead of showing the psychology or strategy behind betting, most Indian films either make it look like an easy road to riches or a guaranteed disaster.

I do not understand why Bollywood seems to make this a straightforward yes-or-no question. Of course, gambling can lead to somewhat extreme outcomes, but for most people, it's just casual fun from time to time. Even though this kind of mundane scenario does not sell tickets to movie theaters, it would be refreshing to present the whole betting scene as a casual side quest as it usually is in real life.

At some point, Bollywood needs to grow up about gambling. It's not black and white, and it's not always about luck. The reality is messy, unpredictable, and way more interesting than the same old cautionary tale we've been watching for years.