The Government of India has taken a firm decision on gambling in its history, with stringent policies in most regions in place. These days, they have realized that times are changing and there is a lot of tax which can be collected. Due to this reason, it has made caused a few great changes in the country.
Offline Gambling
Some states have licensed casinos like Sikkim, Goa, and Daman. The Indian casino gambling is expanding over there as there are plans to give relief to other states so they can also operate their licensed casinos.
As things are in favor, Goa has become the Mecca of casinos and gambling. It can also be an example to other states. Tourism has been growing in the region for around 30 years now. It has increased by a huge 76% from 2010 to 2015.
Online Gambling
India is known to be worth around $60 billion a year alone in online gambling. And the best part of this is that it doesn’t just cover online gambling. There are several laws that are going against offline gambling, with only a couple of regions allowing it. There are different foreign gambling companies investing millions of dollars and these are supposed to be operating freely. There is a fair chance that these companies could spur the government into action.
Gambling is highly unorganized in Europe. Hence, they profit largely with this industry. It doesn’t just attract a lot of tourism, but it also collects a large amount in tax, when it comes to creating a lot of job opportunities.
Online Gambling and Betting to Remain Lucrative in India
There are many online gambling sites in India which have gained a lot of traction as they enable players to play for real money. According to the experts, the current size of this industry is up to $120 million and it is growing year by year.
Even after banning all the gambling practices in India under the 1867 Public Gambling Act, it was up to the state governments to make their own laws and rules about gambling. Casino gambling is legalized in Sikkim and Goa and a lot of states have made selling lottery tickets legal in other forms.
The courts have also exempted rummy and horse racing after independence from the Public Gambling Act. According to the gambling websites, Indian casino has skilled players playing their games, who use their own tactics and strategy to win the game.
According to the All India Gaming Federation secretary, Jay Sayta, the online skill gaming industry includes rummy, poker, and other games, which have been growing rapidly since the year 2008. There are different leading companies, including the ones run by celebrities, which have started their own Indian casino ventures.
Irrespective of the popular belief, all card games are not legal. However, card games which involve a lot of intellect and skill are legal, even though they involve profits and money. There have been several high court and SC verdicts in this manner, and laws vary in some states.
Under the Information Technology Rules, 2011, which prohibits online gambling, it is also hard to take action against those websites. Gambling is not specified in those rules. In addition, a lot of gambling websites are hosted in nations where there are no rules on gambling.
