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Online Gambling in India: Trends, Regulations, and the Future

India’s online gambling scene is a sight to behold. Plenty of interested gaming enthusiasts are contributing to its growth. Not only that, but we are witnessing an age where the regulations are shifting, the talk of technological advancements is Heating up, and player preferences are always changing. India’s online gambling future appears to be a little bit brighter than ever before.

In this guide, we will explain more about its future and the contributing factors going forward. So, let’s begin with everything you need to know about India and the online casino scene.

A few growing trends have contributed to online gambling’s popularity over the past several years. It looks like its upside trend isn’t going to stop anytime soon. So here’s a look at some of the trends that we believe are looking strong now and in the years to come:

  • Growing popularity and market expansion: Two significant factors of online gambling’s popularity in India and worldwide have been increased internet penetration and smartphone usage. Over 1 billion residents in India use smartphones. This means that there is plenty of broad reach regarding how many people online casinos have the potential to reach, especially if they prefer playing on a mobile device. Nevertheless, there are plenty of online casino platforms recommended by AskGamblers IN that you can check out. 
  • The emergence of mobile gambling: To expand on the proliferation of smartphones, mobile gambling has undoubtedly become one of the biggest trends worldwide. Online casinos and betting platforms have created mobile-friendly websites that can be easily accessed on their favorite mobile browsers. Not to be outdone, some online casino platforms have developed dedicated apps. Either way, players can try out their favorite online casino games anytime and anywhere. 
  • Popularity of sports betting: Aside from online casino games, sports betting has also grown in popularity worldwide. Cricket fans can bet on their favorite teams and players even in real-time through live betting. It is also an excellent time to keep an eye on significant events. You never know what could happen in the next T20 World Cup game, mainly when India and Scotland have performed very well in group play during the previous T20 contests.

Regulatory Landscape of India: What May Change?

The regulatory landscape of India surrounding online gambling or gambling as a whole can be seen as complex. What needs to be understood is that such gambling laws will be governed at the state level, so one state may have more regulations than another. For example, the states of Sikkim and Goa both have gambling laws that are a bit more relaxed than those of other states in India. The Public Gambling Act of 1867 has been the centerpiece of gambling laws even though it is almost 160 years old.

The law itself does not explicitly cover online gambling. As such, online gambling operators often question whether or not offering such services to Indian players is legal. To clear any confusion, however, Indian online casino players are allowed to use the platforms, although the operators must be based offshore. There is no law that we know of at this time that will allow online casino operators to start their platforms inside the borders of India itself.

However, there has been an ongoing debate regarding how gambling laws can be changed, especially when it comes to betting on cricket games or even just playing rounds of blackjack. Will the Public Gambling Act of 1867 be updated for modern standards? Or will there be legislation that will reflect the online Casino era and maybe be way different from the age-old law already in the books?

Conclusion

India’s online gambling popularity continues to Surge now and in the years to come. Even though the trends are continuing in an upward direction, the question that remains is whether regulations will be implemented to legally allow online casinos to operate in the country. At the same time, they should also implement regulations or laws that will oversee online casino platforms while allowing operators to provide excellent entertainment opportunities for Indian citizens.