Poker in India The Indian poker scene is still very young, but each year the game becomes more and more popular as players around the country are exposed to it. For many years it was difficult for players to enjoy the game, since Indian casinos were allowed to offer table games. Because of this many poker games in India happened behind closed doors.
Despite the lack of venues, many tournaments are popping up in India. One major event was the Asian Poker Classic which took place on one of India's casino ships (the Maharajah Casino). Its $1million prize pool attracted many players. In 2010 the India Poker Series (IPS) hosted three major poker events at Indian casinos. Similar events are being put together by the India Amateur Poker League (IPRT) and the India Poker Championship (IPC). These new developments are a sign that the country's poker scene is now beginning to flourish.
Online Poker in India Indian poker online is also becoming more popular. There are no proper Indian poker websites on the internet today. The government does not give out licenses for companies to operate internet poker rooms in India, so all players must use sites that are hosted elsewhere. While India's national lottery is available online, there is no sign of the Indian government expanding the extent of their online gambling site licensing.
Indian players are accepted at many different international gambling websites and many of these offer poker games to players. While land-based poker games in India are restricted to casino ships, these online poker rooms are outside the jurisdiction of the government, so players in India are safe using them.
Online Poker Sites in India
There are 28 Indian online poker sites that offer gameplay in English and accept wagers in US Dollars