No. Since 1 May 2026, online real-money betting is prohibited across India by the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025. The older answer, that betting sat in a legal grey area varying by state, described the position before this central law and is no longer accurate for online betting.
The answer changed, and most of the internet has not caught up
If you search this question you will still find pages explaining that online betting occupies a grey area, that the Public Gambling Act of 1867 predates the internet, and that the answer depends on which state you sit in. That was a fair summary for years. It is no longer the position.
The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025 is a central law that prohibits online money games throughout India. It came into force on 1 May 2026.
Editorial explainer, not legal advice. The law here is contested and moving, constitutional challenges are pending before the Supreme Court. For decisions about your own position, consult a qualified Indian lawyer.
Why the state-by-state framing stopped working
Gambling has traditionally been a state subject, which is why the older analysis worked page by page through Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and the rest. The 2025 Act legislates centrally on online games. For anything online and played for money, the state question no longer decides the outcome.
State law still matters for offline activity. It does not rescue an online wager.
"But the site is based overseas"
This was the last surviving argument, and the Act addresses it directly. Published analysis notes that onshore and offshore operators alike are covered, hosting infrastructure abroad does not place an operator outside the prohibition where it offers services into India. The Centre can additionally invoke blocking powers under the Information Technology Act, 2000.
The money side
Banks and payment providers are required to block betting-related transactions. In practice this has been as significant as the prohibition itself: a service you cannot deposit into or withdraw from is not usable, whatever its terms of service claim.
What this means if you used to bet
Platforms have closed real-money operations: Dream11 and Mobile Premier League among them. If you still hold a balance, see what happens to your money. If stopping is the hard part, see getting help.
Is this permanent?
Unresolved. The Act faces constitutional challenge before the Supreme Court, largely on whether Parliament could legislate here at all. Nothing has been struck down and nothing has been stayed. The current law is the law.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Is betting on IPL legal now?
Betting money on cricket online, including the IPL, falls within the prohibited category of online money games.
What about sites licensed in Curacao or Malta?
A foreign licence does not authorise offering online money games into India. The Act covers offshore operators, and the Centre can order blocking.
Do state gambling laws still apply?
To offline activity, yes. For online money games, the central Act governs.
Sources
Every legal claim on this page traces to the material below. Primary sources are the statute and government notifications themselves.
- The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025 (Act No. 32 of 2025) — full text(opens in a new tab) — Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of IndiaPrimary source
- Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025 — official announcement(opens in a new tab) — Press Information Bureau, Government of IndiaPrimary source
- Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Rules, 2026(opens in a new tab) — Press Information Bureau, Government of IndiaPrimary source
- The Online Gaming Act, 2025 — redrawing India's online gaming landscape(opens in a new tab) — Trilegal
