The Gambling Industry of India

Many discussions have been recently held regarding how the gambling industry in India is going to be regulated. At this time, several forms of gambling in India are considered illicit and were this way since the 1800’s, when authorities decided that gaming houses should not be legal in India. The only regions where gambling is permitted are Sikkim and Goa, where casinos are actually allowed and functioning. In Sikkim, gamblers can find just one casino where they can play table games, while in Goa there are seven casinos which usually offer video machine versions of the games.

Other gambling activities are also legal, including lotteries in five of the Indian states and horseracing, which is considered a game of skill since 1996. Operators who want to open turnkey casinos in this region might want to know that Indians are not prohibited by law to access foreign gambling sites, even though operators cannot receive licenses from the Indian government.

Several gambling activities are available online, the region of Sikkim offering internet lottery. Indian residents who want to gamble at online casinos can enjoy playing their favorite games at sites which are not based in this country, even though there are several operators which ban Indian players.