Common Myths about Online Gambling and its Legal Status
Gambling, both in its online and land-based form is one of the most popular activities known to mankind. With the advances in technology, online casinos have mushroomed and their popularity has soared with time. The convenience of gambling from the comfort of your home to attractive bonuses and a wide range of themes and games to choose from,… Read More »
Gambling, both in its online and land-based form is one of the most popular activities known to mankind. With the advances in technology, online casinos have mushroomed and their popularity has soared with time. The convenience of gambling from the comfort of your home to attractive bonuses and a wide range of themes and games to choose from, there’s much to love about online gambling.
But as with all things new and advanced, there are a couple of myths and misconceptions especially about the legality of online gambling. In this blog post, we bust some of these myths about the authenticity and validity of online gambling. If you are sceptical about online gambling, then these facts will put your fears to rest.
Misconception 1: Online gambling is not legal
The most commonly spouted misconception is about the legality of online betting and gambling. Online casinos are legal and have been legal for a long time now. In a majority of cases, online casinos are governed by various jurisdictions and geo-locking norms based on consumer requirements and state/country laws. The responsibility lies with the casino company to make sure that the bets they are taking are legal.
The onus also lies on the players to make informed choices and choose an online casino that is licensed and regulated by the relevant gambling authorities and that the games are fair and transactions are safe.
In India, the issue of online gambling is somewhat of a grey area where further adjudication is required. However, there are many gambling laws that vary from state to state.
Misconception 2: Online betting sites are not secure
There is a lot of fear with regard to online safety and security when gambling online. Many gamblers fear that their personal data is at risk and their funds can be stolen. While some sites are not secure, if you do your homework well you can safely use online gambling sites such as NetBet.
Be sure to look for the https: in the URL that tells you that this is a secured site with an SSL certificate. All the genuine players carry an SSL certificate and use advanced technology and encryption to protect your data and funds.
Misconception 3: Online gambling targets underage players
It is not entirely untrue that underage online gambling takes place and therefore it is important to be wary of this challenge. Having said that, genuine operators like https://sports.netbet.com/in put all the protocols and procedures in place to prevent underage people from gambling. It is also true that you can’t easily break into licensed and regulated gambling sites. A majority of these operators ask for Know Your Customer (KYC) information and related identity proofs before any customers can start gambling.
Misconception 4: Online gambling sites are a scam
The myth that most of these games are rigged and that you can’t really win at online gambling gives the impression that the site must be fixing the results. A majority of online casinos are legally bound to comply with the regulators. This means that the games are not rigged. Casinos use a software called RNG or random number generators to distribute the cards and this is part of the fair practice. As a player, it is up to you to decide when to walk away and count your winnings.
It is not in the interest of an operator to the rig the games because if the news gets out then the amount of bad press they get online can ruin their business. Casino software companies invest thousands of dollars to audit their games to make sure that players are secure and confident in gambling.
Misconception 5: Online casinos are run by terrorists to launder money
This is perhaps the scariest of the myths that discourage people from gambling in India. Licensing authority and governing bodies use technology to conduct a background check on the vendors and there is no evidence that online casinos are offshore tax havens. You can verify information about the companies, their licenses, registration number, and other details on their Legacy and Privacy Policy pages.
Where do Indian Online Gambling Laws stand as far as gambling is concerned?
The legal position towards online gambling in India is still quite vague. Many gambling sites welcome Indian customers. Yet, these sites are operated overseas and not restricted by Indian law. Except for Maharashtra and Sikkim, none of the other states have made their position explicitly clear with regards to online gambling.
In India, gambling is also regulated at the national and state levels. There are three different acts that you should refer to when it comes to gambling.
- The Public Gambling Act of 1967
- Prize Competition Act, 1955
- The Information Technology Act of 2000
Strangely, none of these acts mention online gambling specifically and therefore the status is not clear.
Conclusion
When it comes to online gambling there are many myths and misconceptions. Make informed choices and thoroughly research the website if you decide to have some fun online.
