Indian gaming laws are unclear and often contradictory. The activity is still regulated by a colonial-era law, from 1867, called the Public Gambling Act. According to this law, the activity is forbidden, apart from some confusing exceptions. This law divides games into two groups: games of chance and games of skill.
This law from more than 150 years ago doesn’t provide a clear definition of those groups. It says that games of chance are those where gamblers bet on numbers. Games of skill are those where gamblers bet on a player’s skill. But, of course, several games fall between both definitions to make everything even more complicated. Can someone say that poker or blackjack are games of exclusive skill or pure luck? Exactly.
The Information Technology Act, from 2000, could have done a better job in clarifying things, but it didn’t. In fact, this Act doesn’t even mention the words “gambling” or “betting”. So, it leaves the matter open for interpretation. For instance, in the state of Maharashtra, online gambling is banned by the Bombay Wager Act.
At present, only the states of Goa, Daman, and Sikkim allow land-based casinos. In addition, Sikkim is the only state that allows sports betting, although Nagaland also allows online gaming. The states of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Maharashtra are among the most restrictive states.