Online betting has quickly become a rather popular industry in India, with more and more people using rummy apps, playing teen Patti online, or even betting on sports by using online betting sites and apps.
Especially during important sports seasons such as the IPL, the importance of such betting platforms and apps skyrockets, given the passion that the Indian populace holds for cricket and other similar sports.
But despite becoming increasingly popular and commonplace in the normal Indian household, the online betting industry remains unregulated. And even the millions of users that have become a part of the online betting atmosphere do not fully know whether the use of these betting sites is legal or not.
Is online betting legal in Chandigarh?
There’s no uniform law in India that decides whether online betting is legal India. That’s because the laws regarding any form of gambling have always been decided by the state governments. However, most governments have adopted the Public Gambling Act of 1867 as the set of laws that have governed gambling activities in India.
As per the Public Gambling Act, gambling in public gaming houses is strictly prohibited and is punishable by the law. However, the act makes no mention of online betting or the use of online gaming apps.
This legal grey area has been interpreted to mean that while it is not entirely legal to bet online in India, it is also not illegal to do so.
This means that even the people of Chandigarh have begun to engage in online betting, whether through various real-money gaming apps or through the use of Indian betting sites that are legal.
Will online betting ever be regulated in India?
As per estimates, the online betting industry is growing at a rapid rate and is expected to be worth a whopping $2.8 billion by 2022. Given these statistics, there has been talking of the need for regulation and formal legalization of the industry in India.
Formal regulation would ensure that the dangers of unregulated online betting such as money laundering and fraud can be curbed, while also generating revenue for the state governments in the form of GST charged on each transaction.
In fact, the Maharashtra government has already begun considering legalizing online gambling so as to not lose out on almost Rs. 2500 crores in revenue from the industry.
Many other Indian states have looked at similar proposals of online gambling being legalized in the country, which would not only create an added stimulus for the Indian economy but also make sure that the users of such betting sites and apps are completely protected.
However, such a decision is not likely to be made anytime soon. Until then, Indians are making sure to enjoy their rummy, poker, or sports betting apps without any worry, since online betting is not really illegal in India.
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