Not as the law stands today. Since 1 May 2026, the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025 has prohibited online money games across India, and staking money on a sports result through a website or app fits the pattern the Act describes. The Act also bans advertising those games and the payment processing behind them. The old idea that online betting sat in a grey area between different state laws no longer describes the position.
This page sets out what the Act says, which penalties the government has published, what remains outside it, and where the legal challenge stands. It is general information, not legal advice. Laws and court rulings change, so treat it as a starting point and check the current position, ideally with a qualified lawyer, before you rely on it. Last checked: October 2026.
What the Online Gaming Act 2025 is
The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025 is Act No. 32 of 2025. Parliament passed it in August 2025 and it received the President's assent on 22 August 2025. It did not take effect straight away. The central government brought it into force on 1 May 2026, the same day as the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Rules, 2026, which the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) notified on 22 April 2026.
The Act does three broad things. It prohibits online money games and the services that offer them. It creates a regulator, the Online Gaming Authority of India. And it gives formal backing to e-sports and online social games, which the government treats as a separate category from games played for money.
What counts as an online money game
The definition is the heart of the law. In the Gazette text, an online money game means an online game, "irrespective of whether such game is based on skill, chance, or both, played by a user by paying fees, depositing money or other stakes in expectation of winning". E-sports are expressly excluded.
Two parts of that wording matter most for anyone thinking about betting:
- Skill or chance makes no difference. For years, operators argued that games of skill sat outside India's gambling laws. For online play, the Act closes that argument: if you pay or stake money hoping to win, the skill element does not take the game out of the definition.
- Fees, deposits and stakes all count. The definition is not limited to a bet in the traditional sense. Paying an entry fee, or depositing money into an account, in expectation of winning is covered as well.
The Act does not need to use the word betting to reach it. Staking money on a cricket match or a football result through an app, in the hope of a return, is the pattern the definition describes, and the government's own summary says the ban covers all forms of online money games. If you think a particular product is somehow different, that is a question for a lawyer, not for a website.
What the Act prohibits
The government's summary, published by the Press Information Bureau (PIB) on 18 March 2026, describes the prohibition in three parts:
- all forms of online money games, whether based on skill, chance or both
- the advertising, promotion and facilitation of those games
- the processing of related financial transactions through banks or payment systems
The same summary says the authorities can block unlawful platforms using powers under the Information Technology Act, 2000. So the prohibition is not aimed only at the company running a game. It also reaches the adverts that promote it and the payment channels that move the money.
Penalties in the government's summary
The government summary gives these maximum penalties. They are the only rupee figures on this page, because they are the statutory amounts:
- Offering or facilitating online money games: up to 3 years' imprisonment, a fine of up to ₹1 crore, or both. For a repeat offence, 3 to 5 years and a fine of ₹1 crore to ₹2 crore.
- Advertising online money games: up to 2 years' imprisonment, a fine of up to ₹50 lakh, or both. For a repeat offence, 2 to 3 years and a fine of ₹50 lakh to ₹1 crore.
The summary focuses on operators, those who facilitate the games, and advertisers. We have not found a penalty for individual players stated in an official source, so we do not state one here. That is not the same as saying that using a prohibited service is safe. Payments to such a service can be blocked or lost, and there is no Indian regulator standing behind an operator that should not be serving you in the first place. If your own position matters, speak to a lawyer.
What sits outside the Act
The Act separates money games from two categories it sets out to encourage.
E-sports are excluded from the definition of an online money game. Under the Act, an e-sport is an organised, competitive online game played under set rules, recognised under the National Sports Governance Act, 2025, with the outcome decided by skills such as strategic thinking or dexterity, and it must not involve placing bets or other stakes. Taking part in a recognised tournament is one thing. Staking money on its result is something else, and that falls back inside the money game definition.
Online social games are games offered for recreation, entertainment or skill development. They may charge a subscription or access fee, but there are no stakes and no money winnings in return for a stake.
The Online Gaming Authority of India is the regulator created by the Act. It has been constituted and works alongside the 2026 Rules, which deal with matters such as registration of games that fall outside the ban. Neither the Authority nor the Rules create a route for licensed online betting.
Offline gambling under older laws
The 2025 Act deals with online games. Offline gambling is still governed by older laws, mostly at state level, some of which trace back to the Public Gambling Act, 1867. Two lawful forms are worth knowing about.
Horse racing. Betting on races at licensed racecourses has long been permitted in several states, and in 1996 the Supreme Court treated horse racing as a contest in which skill predominates (Dr K.R. Lakshmanan v State of Tamil Nadu). That on-course betting runs under state rules and the racecourse's own licence. It does not make online betting on races, or on any other sport, lawful under the 2025 Act.
State lotteries. Under the Lotteries (Regulation) Act, 1998, a state government may organise a lottery if it meets the conditions in that Act, and a state can also ban the sale of other states' lottery tickets within its borders. Only some states run lotteries, so whether one exists depends on where you live.
Casinos and other land-based gambling are matters for individual states, and we do not try to cover them here.
Offshore betting apps are not a legal route
Many betting sites aimed at Indian users are run from outside India and hold a licence somewhere else. That licence does not make the service lawful in India. The government summary describes a ban on all forms of online money games and on facilitating them, along with powers to block unlawful platforms, and nothing in it treats a foreign licence as an exception.
The practical risks are real too. Deposits can fail or be reversed when payment channels are shut, accounts can be closed with money inside, and if a withdrawal never arrives there is no Indian regulator to complain to. Promoting these services is itself within the advertising ban, which is worth remembering the next time a cricket broadcast, a social media post or a message pushes one at you. We do not name, review or link to any betting app or site for readers in India, and we do not give advice on getting round blocks.
The Supreme Court challenge
Several gaming companies challenged the Act in High Courts soon after it was passed. In September 2025 the Supreme Court transferred those cases to itself so they could be heard together, with Head Digital Works v Union of India as the lead matter. The petitioners argue that the Act is unconstitutional, including because it bans online games of skill played for money along with games of chance.
As of our last check in October 2026, the challenge was pending and we had not seen any report of a stay on the Act. That means the Act applies while the case continues. A ruling could uphold the Act, strike down parts of it or change how it is read, so check the latest position before relying on anything here.
If you live in India: the position in plain terms
If you have been reading about cricket markets or keep seeing betting adverts, this is where things stand:
- Online money games are prohibited under national law from 1 May 2026, and on a plain reading that includes staking money online on sports results.
- Advertising and payment processing for them are prohibited too, so an advert is not a sign that a service is lawful.
- E-sports and online social games without stakes are treated separately and sit outside the money game ban.
- On-course horse racing betting and state lotteries run under older laws, where a state allows them.
- A pending Supreme Court case could change the position, so look for updates.
- For your own situation, speak to a qualified lawyer.
Our cricket guides, including the IPL betting guide, the T20 cricket betting guide and cricket betting tips, are written for readers in countries where betting is legal and licensed. For readers in India they are background on how markets work, not an invitation to bet. If gambling is already causing you problems, wherever you live, our responsible gambling page lists warning signs and places to get help.
Frequently asked questions
Is online betting legal in India in 2026?
No. Since 1 May 2026 the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025 has prohibited online money games, meaning games played by paying fees or staking money in expectation of winning, whether they involve skill, chance or both. Advertising them and processing payments for them are prohibited as well. This is general information, not legal advice.
Does online betting law still differ from state to state?
For online money games, the Act now sets a national prohibition. State laws still matter for offline gambling, such as betting at licensed racecourses and state-run lotteries in the states that have them.
Are players punished under the Online Gaming Act?
The government's summary sets out penalties for those who offer or facilitate online money games and for advertisers. We have not confirmed a penalty for individual players in an official source, so we do not state one. That does not make using a prohibited service lawful or safe; ask a lawyer about your own situation.
Are paid fantasy cricket contests allowed under the new law?
A contest where you pay an entry fee hoping to win money fits the wording of the Act's definition of an online money game, which applies whether a game is based on skill, chance or both. Free formats with no fee or stake are a different matter. If you are unsure about a specific product, ask a lawyer.
Is betting on e-sports allowed because the Act promotes e-sports?
No. The Act promotes e-sports as organised competitions, and its definition of an e-sport excludes placing bets or stakes. Staking money on an e-sports result is treated like any other online money game.
Could the Supreme Court case change this?
Yes. Challenges to the Act were transferred to the Supreme Court and were pending at our last check in October 2026, with no stay reported. Check the latest position before relying on this page.