Know the law
Not for real money. The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025 bans offering, advertising and processing payments for online money games across India, and sports betting is included. The Act's penalties fall on operators and promoters rather than players. Some offline gambling is still legal, such as licensed casinos in Goa and Sikkim.
Last reviewed General information, not legal advice
2025
National ban on online money games
1867
Public Gambling Act still in force
30%
Tax on net online winnings
18+
Minimum age everywhere
The 2025 Act
The Act, passed by Parliament in August 2025, bans every online game played for money in the hope of winning more, whether it involves skill, chance or both. Betting on cricket and other sports falls inside that definition. The Act also sets up a national authority to oversee online gaming.
Offering online money games can lead to up to three years in prison and a fine of up to ₹1 crore. Advertising them can lead to up to two years and a fine of up to ₹50 lakh. Repeat offences carry heavier penalties.
For players
The Act treats players as people to protect, so its penalties target operators, advertisers and payment providers. That doesn't make betting online safe or legal. State gambling laws can still apply, and money on a site that is banned in India has no legal protection here.
Skill or chance
For decades it decided what was legal. Courts treated games where skill mostly decides the result, such as rummy and horse racing, differently from games of pure chance, and paid fantasy and rummy apps grew on that basis. Online, the 2025 Act removed the distinction for money games: skill or chance, if it's played for money online, it's banned.
The distinction still matters offline, where state gambling laws and older court rulings continue to apply.
How we got here
1867
A colonial-era law that bans running or visiting a common gaming house. It predates the internet and says nothing about online play.
1950
The Constitution lists betting and gambling under Entry 34 of the State List, so each state writes its own gambling laws.
2000
Gives the central government powers over online services, including blocking websites. Later rules used it to oversee online gaming.
2023
Net winnings from online games are taxed at 30%, and operators pay 28% GST on the full value of deposits.
2025
Parliament bans online money games across India, including betting, along with their advertising and payment processing.
State by state
Every state has a gambling law, and many are based on the 1867 Act. The states below stand out for their own rules on casinos or online games. For online money games, the national Act now applies everywhere on top of them.
| State | What stands out |
|---|---|
| Goa | Licensed casinos, including offshore casino boats on the Mandovi river. |
| Sikkim | Licensed casinos and its own law on online gaming licences. |
| Nagaland | A licensing law for online games of skill. |
| Telangana | Banned online games played for stakes in 2017. |
| Andhra Pradesh | Banned online betting and gambling in 2020. |
| Tamil Nadu | A 2022 law that bans online gambling and regulates other online games. |
| Karnataka | A 2021 ban on online gaming for stakes was struck down by the High Court in 2022. |
Winnings from betting, lotteries, horse races and online games are taxed at a flat 30%, plus surcharge and cess. You can't use the basic exemption or claim losses against them. Keep records of every deposit and withdrawal, and speak to a tax professional before filing.
Report it straight away on the national cyber crime helpline, 1930, or at cybercrime.gov.in. Fast reports give the best chance of freezing the money. If betting is causing you harm, our responsible gambling guide lists free support.
Short answers to what readers ask most about the law in India.
No, not for real money. The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025 bans offering, advertising and processing payments for online money games across India, and that includes sports betting. Free games and e-sports are not covered by the ban.
The 2025 Act's penalties target operators, advertisers and payment providers, not players. State gambling laws can still apply to players, though, and money held on an unlicensed site has no legal protection in India.
An offshore licence does not make a site legal in India. The 2025 Act applies to online money games offered to people in India, wherever the operator is based, and the government can block those sites and their payments.
Online cricket betting for money is banned under the 2025 Act. Free prediction games with no money at stake are not.
Paid fantasy contests count as online money games under the 2025 Act, so they are covered by the ban. Free fantasy games with no entry fee remain allowed.
Yes. Net winnings from online games are taxed at 30% plus surcharge and cess, and the usual basic exemption doesn't apply. Talk to a tax professional about your situation.
Licensed casinos operate in Goa and Sikkim, on-course horse race betting is allowed at licensed racecourses, and some states run their own lotteries.
Still unsure? Ask our team
Check rules, fixtures and figures with the bodies that publish them.
This page is general information, not legal advice.
Laws and court rulings change, and challenges to the 2025 Act may change how it applies. Check the current position with a qualified lawyer before acting on anything here. Questions or corrections? Contact our team.
Start-here guides on how betting works, the law and keeping it under control.
