Recommended Gambling Sites In India

India is one of the world’s more promising emerging superpowers. Plus, with a population of over 1.3 billion, it’s an incredibly enticing marketplace for gaming corporations hoping to develop in new regions. At the moment, the legalization of gambling is a hot topic amongst Indian politicians, especially following a report by the Law Commission of India actively supporting the acceptance and regulation of gaming.

In the meantime, the offshore Indian gambling site industry is thriving. With gambling regulations left to the states and only a single federal law in place – signed back in 1867 as a British colony – foreign operators have become immensely popular. However, gambling with offshore providers can be risky business if you aren’t using the most reliable websites.

Our Top Recommended India Gambling Sites

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1.

100%

up to $2,000 + 20 Free Spins

  • Big bonus
  • Slots players will love it
  • Good variety of table games
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2.

$125 FREE!

with $25 deposit

  • History of reliable service
  • Tournament offerings
  • Substantial progressive jackpots
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500%

up to to $7,500

  • High bonuses/low rollovers
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  • Reliable live dealer options
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250%

up to $6,000

  • Easy to use
  • Hefty promotions
  • Live dealer variety
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5.

300%

up to $3,000

  • Huge bonus offers
  • You can gamble with Bitcoin
  • Nice table game selection

In this guide, we’ll take a close-up look at India’s history of gambling, their current rules and regulations, and how their industry may evolve and grow in the near future. Despite the government’s best efforts, nothing has worked to restrict Indian citizens from accessing illegal gambling locations, both online and in person. Now, they’re leaning towards embracing the industry and benefitting from the revenues it creates rather than watch that money be sent overseas.

But before we get into that part of our guide, let’s take a minute to discuss the list of recommended Indian gambling sites shared directly above this section. In regions such as India, where licensed and legal gaming websites are non-existent, one must be especially cautious when choosing a provider. In the following section, we’ll explain why those options listed above are the absolute best.

Why Do We Recommend the Above Sites?

Our team of expert reviewers has come together from all corners of the global gambling industry. Whether they’ve run online gaming domains, helped create odds for Vegas sportsbooks, or played poker professionally, this group has decades of experience and prides itself on finding the best India gambling sites for our readers.

While there are hundreds of metrics and factors taken into account when ranking our recommendations, the following are essential attributes of any sites we share here.

Safety and Legitimacy

In countries like India, who don’t yet have licensing and regulatory legislation in place, players must exercise much more caution to ensure their financial and identity safety. With such massive sums of money wagered on offshore gambling sites, rogue operators create websites used to steal money from unsuspecting players.

At first, they appear to look and operate like any other gambling domain, but one day, you go to log in, only to find the entire URL no longer exists. And there’s nothing you can do to recoup the funds.

Mobile Compatibility

Cellular data in India is becoming more affordable, and in response, more residents than ever are accessing the internet using their phones and other mobile devices. Similarly, in recent years, we’ve seen international gaming operators improving the experience both through their site’s compatibility with mobile browsers and by building dedicated apps.

We rank these top online Indian gambling sites more favorably, as they’re more likely to give our readers the ideal customer experience. Plus, an easy-to-use mobile option can play a vital role in wagering for fans of sports betting, such as for cricket. There are times when gamblers must get their bets in quickly before the odds are pulled off the board. We want this to be as effortless as possible for our readers.

Bonuses and Loyalty Rewards Programs

You’ve undoubtedly noticed that the Indian gambling sites on our list of recommendations are offering very generous entry-level bonuses and rewards programs to new customers. Whether you’re receiving free-play credits for signing up or a cash-match in response to your initial deposit, there’s quite a bit of free money available to fuel your early wagers.

Then, loyalty rewards programs keep the gifts coming for doing nothing more than participating in your regular gambling hobbies. Depending on how frequently you wager and the amounts you stake on average, the gambling website operators will provide you with cash-back opportunities, gift cards, merchandise, and other valuable prizes.

Fast Payouts

Payout speeds are an excellent informative metric to analyze when identifying both the scammers and premier Indian gambling websites alike. Unethical websites will use a variety of methods to delay or outright deny customers’ withdrawal requests based on dubious accusations. For example, they’ll cancel a winning bet under suspicions of the user being a professional gambler.

In other cases, we’ve seen unreasonably low cash-out limits used to significantly delay payouts. The strategy is to bore the customer into wagering that money again rather than waiting for their earnings.

India’s History with Gambling

3300 BC

Archeologists have found cubes of sandstone and terracotta fashioned into dice in the Indus Valley. There are also references in Indian mythologies which suggest the Indus Valley people engaged in cock-fighting and other forms of betting.

2000 BC

Scrolls dating back to 2000 BC-1500 BC mention games of kings, played with high stakes, in which the player would continually roll dice hoping for a desired result. Each successful roll would apparently move them closer to winning the valuable prizes.

1400s

By the 15th century, gambling was a significant part of Indian culture. The king legalized gaming establishments throughout the country, with a portion of the revenue going to the monarchy. Many Indian casino games were invented during this period of a thriving gambling industry.

1700s

When the British showed up in India, they brought with them the sport of cricket. The game became an instant fascination of the country, and it still is to this day. Sports betting – especially on their new favorite pastime – exploded in popularity.

1867

The Public Gambling Act was passed by the British Colonial Government in India. This act prohibits all forms of gambling – including on cricket – with the exceptions of some occasional lotteries which were used to raise funds for the construction of new towns. This law is still the primary piece of legislation regulating India’s gaming status to this day.

1950

In 1950, India gained independence from the British government and enacted the Constitution of India. After the new constitution came into effect, the legalities of betting and gambling were left up to the states, who could either adopt the original Public Gambling Act of 1867 or adopt new laws. The Central Government was given authority over lotteries, however – specifically the Parliament of India.

1955

The Lotteries Regulation Act was passed, which defines the specific conditions that state governments must adhere to when offering their own lottery. It also gives the Central Government the right to end any lotteries they find in violation of the act.

1999

The Foreign Exchange Management Act made it illegal for citizens to send money abroad (in this case offshore Indian gambling website operators) for the purposes of funding bets.

2004

The Sikkim Casino Games Act 2004 paved the way for regulated casino games in the state of Sikkim.

2008

Four years after legalizing casinos, the Sikkim Online Gaming Regulation Act was passed, extending their licensing regime to online games. Roulette, blackjack, poker, baccarat, keno, and numerous other “games of chance” became legal to play on the internet.

2015

The Information Technology (Intermediaries Guidelines) Rules were amended to 2000’s Information Technology Act and allowed the Indian government to block IP addresses of offshore gaming websites.

2015

The Prohibition of Gambling and Regulation and Promotion of Online Games of Skill Act 2015 (the Nagaland Act) created classifications for games. “Schedule A” games are considered “skill-based,” meaning they don’t fall under gambling prohibitions.

2018

After two years of compiling research, the Law Commission of India released a report pushing for the legalization of gambling, particularly online, as a way of raising funds for the country’s economy. They also lay the regulatory framework for sports betting, especially for cricket.

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Jim Beviglia
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About Jim Beviglia
Jim Beviglia has been a gambling writer at LegitGamblingSites.com since 2018. During that time, he’s written just about every type of article related to gambling, including reviews of betting sites, guides to popular casino games, betting tips on both casino and sports betting, sports and casino blog posts, and game picks. In addition to online gambling, one of Jim’s other major interests is music. He has been doing freelance work for various music sites and magazines for two decades. Among his outlets past and present are American Songwriter, VinylMePlease, Treble, and The Bluegrass Situation. Jim has also written five books on music that were published by Rowman & Littlefield.