What the 2025 Act changed, then the state overlay
Online real-money cricket betting is prohibited in Karnataka under the federal Act in force from 1 May 2026. The older state picture: Online cricket betting is prohibited nationwide from 1 May 2026. Offline, Karnataka's 2021 skill-game ban was struck down in 2022; that history does not reopen online money games.
What this means for you
Accessing a website from Bangalore does not make online real-money cricket betting lawful. The 2025 Act is the nationwide online answer; the 2022 High Court ruling was about an earlier state statute.
Relevant Laws
- Karnataka Police (Amendment) Act (Struck down sections)
- Public Gambling Act
State Legal FAQ
Did the Karnataka betting ban end?
The High Court struck down parts of the 2021 state law on skill games in 2022. That does not override the 2025 central Act, which prohibits online money games nationwide from 1 May 2026, including cricket betting for a stake. This page is not legal advice.
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
- The Online Gaming Act, 2025 — redrawing India's online gaming landscape(opens in a new tab) — Trilegal