Thus, Indian users must be aware of their state's laws regarding online gambling to ensure they are not engaging in illegal activities.
The Current Legal Situation of Online Gambling in India
India has become a haven for online gambling because the laws that regulate betting in the nation, namely, the Information Technology Act of 2000 and the Public Gaming Act of 1867, don’t have any provision prohibiting online betting. This has resulted in an upsurge of offshore betting firms entering the Indian market to offer online casino games and sports betting services.
However, the increased cases of suicide in the country when gamblers lose their wealth through betting has prompted some Indian states to enact laws to ban gambling within their borders. As a result, most gamblers from the nation have started wondering whether they can join such betting sites as 1Win without any legal repercussions.
The only way you can know whether or not 1Win is legal in India is to check if the state government has put in place a law outlawing gambling in your state of residence.
Can You Legally Play at 1Win?
You can rest assured that you can legally play at 1Win India because:
- 1Win operates under a valid license. 1Win is fully licensed and regulated by the government of Curacao
- Fair terms and conditions that align with Indian laws. The user terms and conditions 1Win has put in place are fair and comply with the laws of India
- Payment methods. 1Win supports some of the most secure, fast, and trustworthy payment methods used in India to enable Indian wagerers to make deposits and request withdrawals from their accounts without any problems
- Accepts Indian Rupees. Since INR is the legal tender used in India, 1Win allows Indian gamblers to bet using this currency so that they can conveniently transact on the website
- A certified mobile app. The operator has a fully-fledged and certified iOS and Android mobile app, which it has integrated on its official website to protect users from falling for fraudsters who have started developing similar mobile apps
Besides these aspects, it’s important to examine the laws governing betting in different Indian jurisdictions to avoid rubbing authorities the wrong way. You also need to mind that violating any gambling law can lead to a jail term or big fines.
The Karnataka Police (Amendment) Act of 2021 previously prohibited all online games that were played with real money in the state. But the Karnataka High Court later negated the act in February 2022, whereby the bench averred that games of skill and chance were just the same. The court further stated that there was no supporting evidence to show the adverse effects of online betting on gamblers before the enact of the law.
This, therefore, implies that there is no law that prohibits online gambling in Karnataka, making 1Win legal in the state. So, you can register with the operator and dive into online gambling without fearing that you will break any law.
In the past, numerous betting firms had presented bills to the state government of Maharashtra under the Maharashtra Casinos (Control and Taxation) Act 1976, seeking to be permitted to start offering gambling services in the coastal region of the state. But their move was vehemently opposed by the HM and deputy CM, who claimed that allowing gambling sites to open shop in the said expanse would negatively affect the youth. The cabinet finally decided to ban online betting within the state after a rigorous negotiation process.
This means that online gambling is illegal in Maharashtra, and as such, you can’t bet on 1Win when residing in this state.
West Bengal the West Bengal Gambling and Prize Competitions Act of 1957 to regulate gambling in the state. This law outlaws playing games of chance with real money but not those of skill at land-based casinos. It also bans promotions and betting activities that promise participants more than 1,000 Indian Rupees per month. However, this law doesn’t have any provision forbidding online betting in the state. So, offshore betting platforms, like 1Win, can legally offer betting services in the region.
All forms of gambling are prohibited in Telangana by the Telangana Gaming Act of 1974, which describes gambling as the act of betting with real money on a game, a competition, or an event. To fight online gaming within the state, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (Meity) has introduced more regulations that clearly define online games as the games that punters can access through computers or mobile devices, provided they have an internet connection.
Online gambling in Tamil Nadu is prohibited by the Tamil Nadu Gaming and Police Laws (Amendment) Act of February 2021. This means that 1Win is illegal in the state. The law also proscribes the advertisement of betting in the state. Anybody that breaks this regulation is fined a maximum of 5,000 Indian Rupees or jailed for 3 months or both. Those who persuade others to engage in online gambling are fined utmost 5 lahks or imprisoned for one year or both.
Even though the laws governing online gambling in India have remained stable for some time, you need to visit our website from time to time to know whether or not there are any changes to the legal landscape.
Who Can Legally Gamble at 1Win?
While 1Win is legally allowed to offer online betting services in India, not all users can gamble on the platform without violating the law. Hence, the operator uses the following criteria to determine who can bet on the site:
- You must be 18 years and above or of the legal age as defined in the laws of your state of residence
- You must be an Indian resident, as some countries have restrictions on the website
- You shouldn’t hold duplicate accounts on the site
Even though the operator won’t request any documents at the time of registration, you will be requested to complete the KYC procedure when you submit your first withdrawal request by providing them with a copy of your ID card, passport, or credit/debit card and a recent utility bill to proof your identity and residence, respectively.
