# Is Online Cricket Betting Legal in India? The 2026 Answer Source: https://cricketin.org/legal/online-betting-law-india [By Ananya Rathi](/authors/legal-writer), Legal and Compliance Writer. [Reviewed by Rajeev Sathe](/authors/editor-in-chief), Editor-in-Chief. Updated 27 Aug 2026. Editorial policy: https://cricketin.org/editorial-policy 18+ Betting money on cricket carries a direct risk of financial loss, and it can become an addiction. Real-money online gaming is banned across India under the PROG Act 2025, which came into force on 1 May 2026. If betting is already costing you money you need, or sleep, or people close to you, the free Tele-MANAS helpline is **14416**, and it runs in 20 languages. Our [page on help for gambling harm](/guides/help-for-gambling-harm-india) lists what else exists. --- A clear answer for 2026: no legal route exists for online money games in India. Read the central Act, state laws, offshore apps, tax and penalties. No. There is no legal way to bet money on cricket online in India today. The PROG Act 2025 bans online money games across the country, and it started on 1 May 2026. The ban covers apps run from outside India as well. This page works through the law in layers. The central Act first, then the dead "game of skill" argument, then foreign licences, state Acts, tax, penalties, and where the court case stands. ## The one law that decides it now The law you need is the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025. It is listed as Act No. 32 of 2025. People shorten the name to the PROG Act, and we do that here too. Parliament passed the Bill on 21 August 2025, a day after the Lok Sabha cleared it ([PRS Legislative Research](https://prsindia.org/billtrack/the-promotion-and-regulation-of-online-gaming-bill-2025)). The Act did not bite at once. Rules had to come first. MeitY notified the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Rules, 2026 on 22 April 2026. The Act and the Rules both started on 1 May 2026 ([Nishith Desai Associates](https://nishithdesai.com/research-and-articles/hotline/gaming-law-wrap/setting-the-rules-of-the-game-indias-online-gaming-law-comes-into-force-15586)). That start date is the line that matters. Anything you read about Indian betting law from before it is out of date. The Act does not care where the money game sits. Section 1(2) says it covers the whole of India. It also covers a money gaming service run from outside India for people here ([text of the Act on India Code](https://upload.indiacode.nic.in/view-casepdf?type=act&id=AC_CEN_45_0_00004_2025-32_1778133559220)). We unpack every clause on our [full walk-through of the PROG Act](/legal/prog-act-2025-explained). ## What counts as a money game The Act uses one term: online money game. The test is simple. You pay money or another stake. You expect money or something of value back. That is enough ([PRS Legislative Research](https://prsindia.org/billtrack/the-promotion-and-regulation-of-online-gaming-bill-2025)). Two details catch people out. First, skill does not save the game. The test applies whether the game runs on skill, on chance, or on a mix. Second, stakes are not only rupees. Credits, coins and tokens count when they can be swapped for money ([PRS Legislative Research](https://prsindia.org/billtrack/the-promotion-and-regulation-of-online-gaming-bill-2025)). So cricket betting is inside the ban. A cricket prediction contest with an entry fee and a cash prize is inside it too. The label on the app does not change the test. ## Why the "game of skill" idea is finished For years one line ran through every Indian betting site. Cricket needs skill, so betting on it is not gambling. That line is now dead twice over. The Act killed it by wording. The Supreme Court killed it by judgment. On 27 May 2026 the Court decided a set of appeals together. In *State of Tamil Nadu v. Junglee Games India* it allowed the State appeals and set aside the Madras High Court ruling. Part II of the Tamil Nadu Gaming and Police Laws (Amendment) Act, 2021 was declared valid ([Supreme Court Observer Law Reports](https://www.scobserver.in/supreme-court-observer-law-reports-scolr/betting-and-gambling-in-games-of-skill-state-of-tamil-nadu-v-junglee-games-india/)). The reasoning is the part to remember. A game of skill is still protected as a game. Betting on that game is not. The Court said that once betting and gambling enter the picture, the nature of the game stops mattering ([Supreme Court Observer Law Reports](https://www.scobserver.in/supreme-court-observer-law-reports-scolr/betting-and-gambling-in-games-of-skill-state-of-tamil-nadu-v-junglee-games-india/)). The Court also refused the trade-freedom argument. Betting is treated as *res extra commercium*, a thing outside lawful trade. So Article 19(1)(g) gives no shelter ([Supreme Court Observer Law Reports](https://www.scobserver.in/supreme-court-observer-law-reports-scolr/betting-and-gambling-in-games-of-skill-state-of-tamil-nadu-v-junglee-games-india/)). One caveat is worth stating plainly. The Court did not say every online game is gambling, and it did not merge skill into chance. It said the skill line matters less when a law targets money staked on an uncertain result ([NLS IJLT Tech-Law Bulletin](https://forum.nls.ac.in/may-2026-ijlt-tech-law-bulletin/)). Our [case tracker for the Supreme Court](/legal/supreme-court-online-gaming-cases) sets out each judgment of that day on its own. ## Why a Curacao or Malta licence changes nothing Offshore apps lean on one word: licensed. It sounds like a legal green light. It is not one for you. A licence granted abroad answers a question asked abroad. Indian law asks a different question. Is a money gaming service being offered to people in India? Section 1(2) of the Act reaches services run from outside the country ([text of the Act on India Code](https://upload.indiacode.nic.in/view-casepdf?type=act&id=AC_CEN_45_0_00004_2025-32_1778133559220)). A foreign regulator cannot switch that off. There is a second layer. Blocking. Section 14 says information tied to an unlawful money gaming service can be blocked for the public, using the route in Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000 ([text of the Act on India Code](https://upload.indiacode.nic.in/view-casepdf?type=act&id=AC_CEN_45_0_00004_2025-32_1778133559220)). We go deeper into this on our page about [offshore apps and Indian law](/legal/offshore-betting-apps-india). ## Do state laws still matter? Yes, but the question people ask has changed. The old question was "is it allowed in my state?". States do have their own gambling Acts, and some of them are old. Andhra Pradesh and Telangana each have a Gaming Act of 1974. Tamil Nadu has its 2022 online gaming Act. Haryana passed a new Prevention of Public Gambling Act in 2025 ([ICLG Gambling Laws and Regulations, India](https://iclg.com/practice-areas/gambling-laws-and-regulations/india)). Since 1 May 2026 the state question no longer decides your answer. The central Act runs across India on its own terms. So there is no state in India where an online money game is a legal choice for you. Two former exceptions get asked about most. Sikkim ran a licensing regime under its 2008 Act, geo-locked inside the state. Nagaland licensed online skill games under its 2016 Act ([ICLG Gambling Laws and Regulations, India](https://iclg.com/practice-areas/gambling-laws-and-regulations/india)). Neither works as a way around the central ban. The full list of state Acts, with years, lives on one page only: [our state-by-state table](/legal/state-by-state). ## Tax does not wait for legality Here is a point that surprises readers. The tax rules on winnings sit in a separate law from the ban. They were written earlier, and they still stand on their own. Section 115BBJ taxes net winnings from online games at a flat 30%. It was inserted by the Finance Act, 2023 and applies with effect from 1 April 2024 ([Income Tax Department, Section 115BBJ](https://www.incometaxindia.gov.in/w/section-115bbj)). The basic exemption limit does not help you here ([Income Tax Department on winnings from online games](https://www.incometaxindia.gov.in/w/winnings-from-online-games)). Tax is also taken at source under Section 194BA, at 30% of net winnings, from 1 April 2023. It is taken when you withdraw. If you leave money in the account, it is taken at the end of the financial year ([Income Tax Department on winnings from online games](https://www.incometaxindia.gov.in/w/winnings-from-online-games)). Our [plain-English guide to Section 194BA](/legal/tds-on-winnings-india) shows the sums. GST is a different tax on a different person. The rate on these actionable claims is 40%. It has applied since 22 September 2025 ([Press Information Bureau](https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2163560®=3&lang=2)). CBIC issued the notifications that give effect to it on 17 September 2025 ([EY India](https://www.ey.com/en_in/technical/alerts-hub/2025/09/cbic-issues-notifications-giving-effect-to-the-recommendations-made)). Before that the rate was 28% of the full stake value. In May 2026 the Supreme Court backed that older levy. It read the 2023 amendments as a clarification, so they reach closed years ([IBFD tax news](https://www.ibfd.org/news/supreme-court-upholds-retrospective-gst-online-gaming-and-gambling)). None of this is a bill you receive. See [our GST page](/legal/gst-on-online-gaming) for the detail. ## What the penalties actually are The penalties sit in Section 9 of the Act. The figures below come from the text of the Act, not from commentary. **Table 1. Penalties under Section 9 of the PROG Act 2025** | Conduct | First conviction | Repeat conviction | |---|---|---| | Offering a money gaming service, Section 5 | Up to 3 years in jail, or a fine up to ₹1 crore, or both | Not less than 3 years and up to 5 years, plus a fine of not less than ₹1 crore and up to ₹2 crore | | Advertising a money game, Section 6 | Up to 2 years in jail, or a fine up to ₹50 lakh, or both | Not less than 2 years and up to 3 years, plus a fine of not less than ₹50 lakh and up to ₹1 crore | | Moving the money, Section 7 | Up to 3 years in jail, or a fine up to ₹1 crore, or both | Same repeat rule as Section 5 | All figures in Table 1 are read from the [text of the Act on India Code](https://upload.indiacode.nic.in/view-casepdf?type=act&id=AC_CEN_45_0_00004_2025-32_1778133559220). The offence of offering such a service is cognisable and non-bailable ([PRS Legislative Research](https://prsindia.org/billtrack/the-promotion-and-regulation-of-online-gaming-bill-2025)). Officers can also enter and search a place without a warrant, and arrest a suspect found there ([PRS Legislative Research](https://prsindia.org/billtrack/the-promotion-and-regulation-of-online-gaming-bill-2025)). ## Is the player punished too? This is the question we get most, so we will be careful with it. Section 9 punishes three named acts. Offering the service. Advertising it. Handling the money for it ([text of the Act on India Code](https://upload.indiacode.nic.in/view-casepdf?type=act&id=AC_CEN_45_0_00004_2025-32_1778133559220)). Those are operator and intermediary acts, not the act of placing a bet. That is not the same as saying a player is safe. Section 5 also covers aiding, abetting and inducing the offering of a money game ([Nishith Desai Associates](https://nishithdesai.com/research-and-articles/hotline/gaming-law-wrap/setting-the-rules-of-the-game-indias-online-gaming-law-comes-into-force-15586)). Older state gambling Acts still exist as well. And an account on a blocked app brings its own money problems. We have not found a published enforcement action against an ordinary player under the PROG Act. Until we can cite one, we will not tell you either that players are being prosecuted or that they never will be. Anyone with a real case should read this with a lawyer, not with a website. ## A pending case is not a green light The Act is being challenged. The lead matter is *Head Digital Works v Union of India*, T.C.(C) No. 133/2025, and it is listed as pending. It sits before CJI Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and a third judge ([Supreme Court Observer](https://www.scobserver.in/cases/challenge-to-the-promotion-and-regulation-of-online-gaming-act-2025/)). Reports in August 2026 say the Court has agreed to start the final hearing ([CDC Gaming](https://cdcgaming.com/brief/supreme-court-of-india-to-hear-challenges-against-igaming-laws/)), and that the bench told all sides to finish their pleadings first ([The iGaming Europe](https://theigaming.eu/2026/08/07/india-supreme-court-final-hearing-online-gaming-act-2025/)). None of that changes today. No source we have read says the Act has been stayed. A ban that is under challenge is still a ban. So "the case is in court" is not an answer to "can I bet". ## Three things readers confuse with this ban Most confusion comes from mixing up four different subjects. Splitting them helps. - **Online is not the same as offline.** The Act is about games played on a device and run as software over the internet, under the definition in Section 2(f) ([Nishith Desai Associates](https://nishithdesai.com/research-and-articles/hotline/gaming-law-wrap/setting-the-rules-of-the-game-indias-online-gaming-law-comes-into-force-15586)). Physical gambling is dealt with by state Acts and other laws. - **State lotteries are a separate world.** Lotteries run under their own central and state laws. Private lotteries without a valid state licence are banned by the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 ([ICLG Gambling Laws and Regulations, India](https://iclg.com/practice-areas/gambling-laws-and-regulations/india)). None of that makes an online cricket bet lawful. - **Horse racing case law does not travel.** Bettors often cite the K.R. Lakshmanan ruling. In May 2026 the Court read that case as tied to horse racing and its own statute ([NLS IJLT Tech-Law Bulletin](https://forum.nls.ac.in/may-2026-ijlt-tech-law-bulletin/)). It is not a general licence for cricket betting. A fourth mix-up is free play. A game with no stake and no cash prize is a different animal in law. But watch the wording. Tokens and credits that convert to money count as stakes ([PRS Legislative Research](https://prsindia.org/billtrack/the-promotion-and-regulation-of-online-gaming-bill-2025)). A "free" app that lets you cash out is not free in the eyes of this Act. If money can go in and come out, treat it as a money game until someone shows you otherwise. ## What this page will never carry You may have landed here hoping for a list of apps. There is none, and there will not be one. Section 6 of the Act bans advertising a money game, directly or indirectly ([text of the Act on India Code](https://upload.indiacode.nic.in/view-casepdf?type=act&id=AC_CEN_45_0_00004_2025-32_1778133559220)). A ranked list with sign-up links is exactly that kind of promotion. So we carry no operator names, no ratings, no bonus figures and no download links. What we do carry is law, tax and the maths of a bet. Start with [the legal hub](/legal) for the whole map, or with [the fee built into betting odds](/guides/what-is-overround) if you want to see how the numbers work against a bettor. If any figure on this page looks wrong to you, tell us. Our [corrections policy](/corrections) explains how we fix things, and [how we verify claims](/how-we-test) sets out the checks we run before a number goes live. ## Questions people ask ### Can I bet on cricket online in India in 2026? No. Online money games are banned across India by the PROG Act 2025, in force since 1 May 2026 ([Nishith Desai Associates](https://nishithdesai.com/research-and-articles/hotline/gaming-law-wrap/setting-the-rules-of-the-game-indias-online-gaming-law-comes-into-force-15586)). Cricket betting is a money game under that test. ### Is fantasy cricket different from betting? Not under this Act. If you pay a fee or stake and expect money back, it is an online money game, skill or no skill ([PRS Legislative Research](https://prsindia.org/billtrack/the-promotion-and-regulation-of-online-gaming-bill-2025)). ### What if the app has a foreign licence? It does not help you. The Act reaches services run from outside India for users in India, under Section 1(2) ([text of the Act on India Code](https://upload.indiacode.nic.in/view-casepdf?type=act&id=AC_CEN_45_0_00004_2025-32_1778133559220)). ### Do I still owe tax on old winnings? The tax law on winnings sits apart from the ban. Section 115BBJ charges a flat 30% on net winnings from online games ([Income Tax Department](https://www.incometaxindia.gov.in/w/section-115bbj)). Ask a tax professional about your own past years. ### Could the Supreme Court undo the ban? The challenge is pending, and the final hearing is being taken up ([Supreme Court Observer](https://www.scobserver.in/cases/challenge-to-the-promotion-and-regulation-of-online-gaming-act-2025/)). Nothing we have read says the Act is stayed, so the ban applies now. ## More from the legal hub - [PROG Act 2025 Explained](/legal/prog-act-2025-explained) - [State Gambling Laws in India](/legal/state-by-state) - [Supreme Court on Online Gaming](/legal/supreme-court-online-gaming-cases) - [TDS on Online Gaming Winnings](/legal/tds-on-winnings-india) - [Online Gaming Ad Rules in India](/legal/advertising-rules-online-gaming) - [GST on Online Gaming in India](/legal/gst-on-online-gaming) - [Offshore Betting Apps in India](/legal/offshore-betting-apps-india) - [DLS Method Explained](/guides/dls-method-explained) - [Expected Value in Betting](/guides/expected-value-explained) - [Caribbean Premier League 2026 — live schedule and table](/leagues/cpl)