Latest Gambling News in India

According to Indian gambling laws, most forms of gambling executed outside the region of Goa are prohibited. Even within Goa, the legal casinos only contain gambling machines. In order to play table games, Indians must board special casino cruise ships afloat near Goa.

Regardless and perhaps due to the strict laws regarding land based and internet gambling in India, there is currently a very high demand for gambling opportunities. Proof of this can be found in the daily news around the country.

One such example is the very recent arrest of sixteen individuals in Bhandup. The prosecuted gamblers were arrested in a plush housing complex when police raided the flat they were occupying. The 16 men were arrested for placing bets as high as Rs 48,000 ($1,032), and all of the gambled funds were seized by the police on the spot.

The police had acted on a tip-off received regarding information on activities in the flat. Rickshaw drivers, builders and some private sector employees composed the group of men arrested. All of the accused have been released on bail.

At roughly the same time as the arrest of the 16 unlucky gamblers, another group of gamblers made headlines. Apparently in Bangalore, an illegal gambling den is run right out of the City Police Commissioner’s office. Those involved in the gambling den are the very cops that give Bidari, the Commissioner, a guard of honour on a daily basis.

Such obvious hypocrisy does not set a good example for the public. Had the arrested men played at any online casino in India, they would’ve been spared incarceration being that there are no laws which prohibit gambling on foreign sites. Perhaps the obviously high demand for gambling facilities will lead to more lax legislation in the future.