FIND THE BEST ONLINE CASINO IN INDIA

The current state of online casino in India

Disclaimer: The following information represents the most up to date information we could find as of February 2021. This information is not to be considered as legal advice, and we recommend you check your state laws to ensure that online gambling is allowed.

India’s casinos are regulated on a federal level through The Public Gambling Act 1867. Since this law came into effect long before the advent of online casinos, various States have updated their laws with modern amendments. 

Although legally speaking, there is debate whether this Act can be extended to online gambling, most operators take the safe approach and do not allow players from States who do not offer updated legislation. Assam and Orissa are examples of States who have not introduced modern gambling legislation and are, therefore, excluded by most online casinos. Meanwhile, online gambling is completely prohibited in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

The punishment for breaking the law in Andhra Pradesh for the first time is one year in prison. If you violate the law a second time, you will get a fine and be sentenced to two years in prison. The state chose to ban online casinos and all other gambling markets because they want to protect young players from gambling addiction. If you are curious to read more about the decision, you can find the full article below among our sources.

In other States, online casinos are more welcome. The State of Sikkim allows online casino games, including Blackjack and Roulette, under a state-wide Intranet service. Meanwhile, Nagaland allows certain games of skill. The Goa Act is considered to be the country’s most supportive law for online casinos. Applicable to Goa, Daman and Diu, the law provides a licencing framework for online video slots and similar casino games.

In general, and with the exception of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, online casinos operated by companies based outside of India can offer their games to Indian players. The main condition is that they support payments in rupees. Therefore, unless you reside in the two mentioned States you should be able to join and play at online casinos without any difficulties.

Do I have to tax my online casino winnings?

India’s tax laws are governed primarily by The Income Tax Act 1961. All income derived from winning at casinos should be declared and is taxed. This includes income from sports bets and lotteries. The standard tax rate on these winnings is 30%, however, a 10% surcharge may also apply. Moreover, it is possible to receive a deduction or exemption in a few cases.

Choosing the best online casino in India

In order to simplify our reviews of the best online casinos in India so that you can read them quickly and effortlessly, we’ve focused on key factors. Many online casinos in India have experience operating in other countries and this has given them an opportunity to develop and improve their general offering. The key factors we cover are:

• Support: The way a casino helps players who have questions or problems is very important. In addition to the quality of support, we also provide you with details of times, languages and channels provided by the online casino.
• Safety: When you use an online casino you are providing it confidential data, copies of personal documents and payment information. It is, therefore, very important that it is safe and well-protected.
• Payment Methods: It can sometimes be very confusing to understand which methods are available for deposits and withdrawals and which limits apply. We seek to simplify the information in a table format. 
• Dedication towards India: At BestCasinoIndia we adapt all our information for the Indian market. As a result, our best casinos in India reviews provide details of bonuses, currencies, games, and sports which are popular in or relevant to India.
• User Experience: As a new casino player, we believe it’ll help you to know what kind of user-friendliness to expect from a particular casino. We put ourselves in your shoes and relate helpful features as well as navigation nightmares.
• Range of Games: Rather than focusing simply on the number of games available we look at the types and range of game providers. We also dedicate a special section to Live Games as we have found these to be extremely popular in India, especially since they feature games such as Andar Bahar and Teen Patti.
• Mobile adaptedness: More players each day connect to the best online casinos in India using their mobile phone. It makes sense, therefore, that we provide you with the possibility and user experience of mobile viewing.

The above is not all the information we provide in our reviews. We are always updating bonus details and providing you with information about loyalty clubs or reward programs. You can find out more about how we evaluate our casino reviews.

The benefits of an Indian focused casino

The following are what we believe to be the best attributes of an India-focused online casino. You would probably have more than these, but they are certainly a good way to start choosing your favourite platform.

Payment Methods

Along with the welcome bonus, one of the first features of an online casino which you will come across is the payment options. Top casinos in India have started to support rupees, but others are still lacking behind. Another important element to consider is transaction speed. Players want instant payments in order to open an account and start playing immediately.

Historically, online casinos have found it difficult to support Indian players to use their existing payment methods. The situation has improved with the introduction of INR payments, but there are persistent challenges to find online casinos with payments methods that truly reflect the Indian market. We understand this need, which is why each review includes a cross-section of the primary methods of payment. Whilst we cannot convince operators to start accepting your favourite payment provider we try to identify online casinos which come close.

For example, whilst Amazon Cash is increasingly used in India, it has yet to become widely available at the best online casinos in India. Whilst we will keep searching for and informing you should top operators introduce this method, we already point out ones that support UPI payments. Fast, secure, and convenient, UPI lets you make instant payments directly from your bank account.

You read on about different deposit methods and payment processes in the articles below.

More casinos entering the Indian market

It’s no secret that the online casino industry in India is booming. This has attracted the interest of online casino operators from around the world, who are seeking to sign up the highest number of players possible. At the same time, several new casinos or Indian-themed branded casinos are popping up.

Whilst established operators enjoy a degree of notoriety and good reputation, newer competitors are usually faster to adopt new currencies and provide national support. Nevertheless, competition amongst online casinos is only going to get tougher, but that’s good news for Indian players since it should result in better service, more games, and more generous bonuses.

Casino offers

Casino welcome offers and ongoing bonuses are major tools which operators use to try and win players over. The truth is, these offers often work. After all, who doesn’t like getting stuff for free?

At BestCasinoIndia we look beyond the attractive bonus to read the terms and conditions of each welcome offer. Every casino we review includes a list of specific or general terms for you to quickly understand if an offer is truly valuable. When terms are complex, as they sometimes are, we also provide practical examples.

Although we strive to provide accurate and up to date information, even when it changes, we are sometimes not informed immediately. For this reason, we strongly recommend that you check out the terms published on the online casino’s website.

If you would like to learn more about how offers work at the best casinos in India we recommend you check out our detailed guides below.

The importance of mobile-responsive casinos

An ever-greater number of players in India are accessing their favourite online casinos from their smartphone. This trend is not only present in the country, but across the world. Game creators were relatively quick to adapt, moving away from Java and replacing it with HTML5. This transition allows you to play your favourite online casino games from your mobile phone without needing to download any app.

Some online casinos are slow to react to this reality and provide a poor or non-existent mobile experience. The best online casinos in India provide a mobile-friendly experience to players which includes fast navigation and quick loading times. This is especially important in regions where Internet connections are slow, so it can take very long to load a page or game full of memory-hungry graphics or video.

You can find more information about playing on mobile on the following pages:

Casino games

One of the most entertaining aspects of any online casinos is certainly the games. Game developers from around the world partner with casino operators to provide you with classic or modern games of skill or luck or both. Most casinos we feature provide thousands of different titles in order to cater to a wide audience. To simplify your choice, we provide a snapshot in figures for the number of total games, slots, live games, and, exclusive games. You can use this overview to identify the platform(s) which best-cater to your preferences in a straightforward manner.

• Slots: Video and classic slots normally represent the majority of an online casino’s game selection. Although they are not as popular in India as they are around the rest of the world, we still provide you with an overview of every online casino’s slot quantity.
• Live Casino: Live casino games let you participate in a live broadcast from a professional studio. These games are particularly popular in the Indian market, partly due to the fact that they sometimes feature Andar Bahar and Teen Patti.

Land-based casino vs online casino

Only 3 states offer land-based casinos to their residents, Goa, Daman and Diu, and Sikkim. These are often located in exclusive and expensive locations such as 5-star hotels. In order for citizens outside of these States to play at a casino, they either need to travel to one of these States or conveniently sign up to an online casino.

Today most Indian players are allowed to enjoy authentic casinos online. With the exception of individuals located in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, Indian citizens over the age of 18 can quickly and easily open an online casino account, without needing to travel. Whilst it may be possible that other States allow land-based casinos in the future, they can’t compete with the games selection and bonuses of online casinos. Online casinos are here to stay and right now are the best bet when you’re looking for an unforgettable experience.

What are the biggest perks of an online casino?

If the advantages of online casinos could be represented in a single word, this word would be convenience. Registering a new online casino account is quick and simple. Depositing funds and picking your favourite games is just as fast and straightforward, especially when the casino supports your preferred payment method.

Here are more benefits you can look forward to:

• Always open – Online casinos never close and can be accessed anytime.
• Generous rewards – From attractive welcome offers to ongoing loyalty programs, online casinos want to keep you happy with constant rewards.
• Better odds – Online casinos cost less to operate than land-based ones, and this results in overall better odds to players.
• Secure environment – When playing at an online casino you don’t need to worry about another player robbing you or spying on you.
• Great choice – Many online casinos offer thousands of different games and odds which you have access to from a single interface.
• View rules – Most games include rules and payouts in the options section, allowing you to learn how to play or refer to them whenever you need to.

You might find that playing at online casinos provides you with different benefits or opportunities. As long as you play responsibly and play at one of the best online casinos in India you should be able to look forward to an entertaining and fun experience.

The ins and out of online casinos

No matter if you’re a completely new online casinos player or have been spinning those reels for some time now, it’s a good idea to understand important elements of the industry. We understand that you are busy, so we summarised the very most important ones below.