It should come as no surprise that gambling and sports betting is growing in popularity and as an industry all across the globe. This is especially true in developed countries that have modernized and have widespread mobile services available to the general public. This is especially true in the largest populated country in the world, India.
India has seen a rapid rise in visitors and money played in online casinos and sports betting platforms. But it has not come without scrutiny and its own back story. India has had a long history of prohibiting and outlawing gambling, even to this day. So how then has it become so popular in India if it is illegal?
Current Gambling Laws
Currently, thanks to several old and outdated laws, physical gambling in India is highly restricted at the national level. Two outdated laws from 1867 and 1955 have made it so that there are no physical casinos or sports betting terminals in India. But while these laws make it illegal to physically create a gambling location, online betting and gambling are not actively regulated and are a very gray area in India.
- Advertisement -
In short, India has failed to modernize their laws to deal with and regulate the issue of gambling and wagering bets on sports. This also means that companies that control online casinos and sports betting platforms cannot exist and operate within India’s borders. This has led to many Indians taking their gambling experiences to online casinos and betting platforms outside of India via their mobile devices.
This is allowed because the companies are not located or physically operating inside of India. Also, due to a lack of modern laws concerning online gambling, it is highly unregulated, therefore allowing for a legal loophole for Indians to safely gamble.
Technology Helps
As India has continued to develop into a modern and advanced country, it has opened the door to new possibilities and experiences for the Indian people. There are over 1.8 billion mobile devices in India with over 740 million of them having online access with those mobile devices. That is a lot of opportunities for Indians to access online gambling platforms and online casinos.
As India’s population continues to grow along with its mobile service infrastructure, online casinos will continue to grow in popularity. This is especially true since gambling companies and platforms have now begun to target India as an untapped market with huge potential due to its population.
Gambling Companies Take Their Shot
With a country that represents over one-eighth of the world’s population and non-existent online gambling laws, India was sitting there with a bullseye on it just waiting for gambling companies and platforms to extend their reach and begin targeting Indians. Many of these companies have taken to advertising in India as well as accepting not only the Rupee as a form of payment on their platforms, but also many local currencies in India are now being accepted as well.
Companies have also started creating mobile apps to streamline their services quicker and make them more user-friendly. This is not directly because of India, but overall, mobile-friendly applications have made online casinos much more popular. This makes sense in India, however, due to its growing population and mobile infrastructure.
Those companies that have yet to develop their mobile apps to fit into this market are instead turning to optimize their websites for mobile use. This will continue to allow easier access and better flow to users when accessing their favorite online casinos and gambling platforms.
Future Of Online Casinos In India
The future of online casinos in India seems like it will continue to grow unfettered, but the rewards of those businesses in the industry will continue to flow outside of India’s borders. With no regulations or laws for online casinos and gambling, India as a country will lose out on many benefits it can bring.
That includes things like jobs at new companies that would form inside of India to create India-based gambling firms and taxes from regulation. Unless India steps up and modernizes its gambling laws, gambling companies will continue to reach from the outside to capitalize on India’s vast population.
