Are Cricket Betting legal in India?

Find out what cricket betting is, are they legal in India, can you be prosecuted for using betting sites and apps. Find out which bookmakers are legal.

Legality of Cricket Betting in India

Cricket has been recognized as the most popular sport in India for quite a long time. People watch matches, play cricket themselves, and some even bet. To bet, you need to turn to the services of betting sites or apps. They will allow online cricket betting in India with comfort and convenience.
But many may remember that in 1867, a law was passed in India to ban all betting and gambling. Are you allowed to bet with bookmakers? Is it safe to do so? Can betting entail any kind of liability? Let’s find out together.

The Public Gambling Act of 1867

This law prohibits the operation of public gambling establishments, their management, as well as attendance. Penalties in the form of fines or imprisonment are prescribed for violations.

So is it really forbidden to gamble in India? Not exactly. You really can’t go and place a bet at a bookmaker or manage a gambling establishment. In our case, we’re talking about online betting, so it’s not that clear-cut. Since there is nothing about online betting, can you do it?

You have to look at the situation. The state law indicates that gambling is divided into a game of skill and a game of luck. It is categorically forbidden to bet in a game of luck, but games that carry with them the ability to calculate something or learn how to do something are allowed. We know that betting on horse racing is allowed because we can see a pattern that tells us who is more likely to win the race.

But what about cricket? Here, in order to win you have to take into account a number of different factors: weather conditions, field conditions, players’ form, strengths and weaknesses of each team, past victories and defeats, etc. Unfortunately, the state law does not say anything about cricket. However, the ability to choose whether betting on cricket is a game of chance or a game of skill falls on local state bodies. Therefore, it is up to each state to decide what is allowed and what is prohibited.

And where to bet if gambling is illegal in India?

Yes, it is forbidden to run a betting business here. That’s why India is a gold mine for big bookmakers. The fact is that bookmakers can get around Indian laws due to the fact that their online platforms are in offshore zones and therefore do not violate any restrictions. This means that if your state does not prohibit betting on cricket or any other sport, then you can use foreign cricket betting sites that do not fall under Indian laws.

FAQ

Has anyone been prosecuted for betting online?

There have been no recorded cases where an Indian citizen has been prosecuted or charged with a crime for using betting sites or apps. This demonstrates that the Indian government does not prosecute people who bet online.

Which bookmakers are legal in India?

There are not many legal bookmakers within India specifically. They are allowed to take bets on horse racing, lottery sales and not much else allowed by each state. As for the ability to bet online, there are many different bookmakers that are not located in India. The most popular betting sites for cricket betting in India are Bet365, Betway, Parimatch, 1win, Casumo, 22Bet, etc.

How do the bookies always win?

Bookmakers essentially make money by pricing a market at different odds to the likelihood that an underlying event happening. This means you can’t win in the long term as you are betting on something that simply can’t happen or at odds that do not accurately reflect the chance of it happening.