Gambling Laws in Kerala

According to the Supreme Court, if a game isn’t completely based on chance, then it’s not considered gambling. When we think about gambling, then places like Las Vegas and Monte Carlo come to mind. However, India, which is considered a comparatively conservative nation in the world, is also becoming a hot gambling destination especially after the advent of online… Read More »

Update: 2019-09-03 04:14 GMT

According to the Supreme Court, if a game isn’t completely based on chance, then it’s not considered gambling. When we think about gambling, then places like Las Vegas and Monte Carlo come to mind.

However, India, which is considered a comparatively conservative nation in the world, is also becoming a hot gambling destination especially after the advent of online gambling. But what about the gambling laws in India?

Gambling in India

India is not a country that’s known for gambling. This has a lot to do with the fact that the government doesn’t encourage gambling and has in fact imposed ambiguous but nonetheless stringent rules and regulations on the industry. However, online casinos are now becoming popular by taking advantage of the grey area that these laws essentially are.

Here is something that most people don’t know- not all forms of gambling are illegal in India. According to the Supreme Court, if a game isn’t completely based on chance, then it’s not considered gambling.

In other words, if you can increase your chances of winning in a game by using skill and knowledge, then the game can’t be considered illegal. This explains the growing casino landscape in India and why there are so many online gambling websites that offer attractive casino games.

Gambling Laws in Kerala

Kerala is a popular state for tourism in South India. There are no ways about it. However, if you are interested in gambling and visiting the state, then what should you really expect? Let’s take a look at lottery first.

Lottery is legal in only 13 states in India which are Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Manipur, Meghalaya, West Bengal, Punjab, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Goa, and Kerala. In fact, if you want to try your luck at some of the best lotteries in the country, then Kerala State Lottery and Sikkim State lottery are good bets (no pun intended).

The other gambling activities in Kerala are governed by the Public Gambling Act, 1867. It has 18 sections which dictate who or which entity can be prosecuted for carrying illegal gambling activities in certain establishments. That said, there are no particular gambling laws that are enacted exclusively for Kerala. In other words, the laws are applicable to all regions across India unless mentioned otherwise.

New to Gambling?

If you are visiting Kerala or any other state for that matter, then the best way to enjoy gambling is to check out online casinos rather than land-based casinos, unless of course, if you are visiting a state like Goa where you can find decent land-based casinos to try your luck. This is because the gambling scene here is much better than the rest of the country.

If you are interested in online gambling, then you can also try fantasy sports or sports betting if you are passionate about a particular sport like cricket or football. In fact, gambling apps and websites in this domain are particularly gaining traction in India lately since online gambling is fairly legal in the country now.


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