The game was banned as it was promoting unauthorised gambling and was also not implementing the safety measures against compulsive gambling. Onside Sports was an app that combined live sports scores with betting options, encouraging users to make bets. This app was banned for providing access to gambling services and for failing to uphold financial transparency requirements. These betting apps are being banned in India because they promote betting, which is illegal under the Public Gambling Act of 1867.
- The Dream11 game app, one of the most popular fantasy sports apps, has an uncertain legal status.
- They offer online casinos, sports betting, and other forms of gambling that are permissible under their laws.
- The grievance redressal available to users may improve given the involvement of an oversight committee.
- In absence of appropriate regulations, online gaming in many States is being controlled by the available respective gaming/ gambling legislations.
- The proliferation of these illegal platforms exposes users to financial fraud, as they are not able to distinguish them from legitimate, safe online games.
What are the Cyber Laws in India?
In short, prohibition here means a total ban on offering, promoting, or funding online money gaming. No person or organisation can make or publish ads—on TV, social media, or any online platform—that directly or indirectly encourage people to play money-based online games. The proposed Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025 clearly says that no one can run or help run online money games in India.
What is the Government’s Observation?
For instance, wagering on horse racing is legal because it is a game of skill but wagering on the game of cricket is not and lottery, which is pure gambling, is regulated but legal whereas online Texas Hold’em Poker, which many argue is a game of skill, may or may not be legal in every state. A structured regulatory approach, the government argues, will help address key concerns including age-appropriate access and addiction risks, particularly among vulnerable groups like minors. Moreover, formal recognition and governance of e-Sports will also allow India to tap into the global competitive gaming ecosystem and open new career opportunities for young players. The Law Commission is yet to provide itsrecommendations on the subject of sports betting in India yet. It isconsidering the question as to whether to consider sports betting to be a gameof skill. Sikkim is the only State in India which has enacted a law for digital gaming and sports betting.
AndarBahar Poker
This means that only the state has the right to regulate laws (State-specific) related to gambling activities in their territory. In general, gambling in India is regulated by the Public Gambling Act, 1867, which is a central law that prohibits certain forms of gambling. However, the law does not explicitly mention online gambling since it was enacted long before the advent of the internet. Also, the Act differentiates between games of chance and games of skill as https://newcasinossite.com/free-spin-bonus/ well as declares all types of gambling unlawful in India. India’s online gaming sector is rapidly growing, surpassing other emerging digital sectors in the country.
Another study, titled ‘The Economic Impacts of Video Game Technology Spillover’,40 assessed how video game technologies contribute to non-game sectors in the United Kingdom and select Nordic economies. Officials said the aim is to make the internet — and online gaming in particular — safe, accountable and responsible. The Union Cabinet on Tuesday approved the Online Gaming Bill, which aims to regulate betting apps and put strict checks on gambling, sources said.
