Cricket Betting Sites in India What to Know First
Every time a big IPL match or a World Cup game approaches, thousands of Indians search for cricket betting sites. The excitement makes it tempting. But many people sign up without knowing the legal risk in their state, the real cost of placing a bet after taxes, or the warning signs of a platform that will not give their money back. This article covers all of that plainly.
Is Cricket Betting Actually Legal in India?
The answer is not a simple yes or no. It depends on which state you live in.
The central law on this subject is the Public Gambling Act, 1867. This act was enacted to penalise public gambling and the operation of common gaming houses. Because it was written long before the internet, it says nothing specific about online betting. That silence is the grey area that most betting platforms use to justify operating for Indian users.
Under the Constitution of India, Betting and gambling fall under Entry 34 of the State List in the Seventh Schedule, which means state assemblies have exclusive power to legislate on them. This is why the legal picture varies so much across the country.
States like Goa, Meghalaya, and Sikkim have their own licensing frameworks that allow regulated gambling. Online gambling is a banned offence in Maharashtra under the Bombay Wager Act. Most other states have no specific online gambling law. That is a grey area, not a green light.
Betting on cricket, including popular events like the Indian Premier League, is largely considered illegal in most states, and placing bets on cricket outcomes on unlicensed platforms carries legal risk.
In August 2026, a division bench of the Delhi High Court declined a request to block online betting sites ahead of the Cricket World Cup. That was a procedural decision, not a ruling that cricket betting is now legal. If you are unsure about the rules in your state, speak to a lawyer before using any platform.
The Real Cost GST and Income Tax on Your Bets
This is the part most betting sites skip in their advertising. Using these platforms in India now comes with two separate tax burdens.
From 1 October 2023, online gaming companies are required to charge a 28% Goods and Services Tax on the full value of bets. This applies to the entire amount deposited by a player, not just on individual bets. So if you deposit Rs 1,000, about Rs 280 goes toward GST before you even place a bet.
On top of that, from an income tax perspective, a 30% tax is deducted at source on a player’s net winnings, and the previous threshold of Rs 10,000 to trigger the tax was eliminated on 1 April 2023, meaning all winnings from online gaming are now subject to this withholding tax. This is deducted under Section 194BA of the Income Tax Act, 1961.
The platform deducts both of these before you can withdraw anything. What looks like a Rs 500 win can shrink considerably by the time the taxes are applied. You also need to report these winnings in your income tax return for the financial year.
What to Check Before You Sign Up
Before you visit any cricket betting site, look at these things carefully.
Who licences the platform? Sites based in Malta, Curacao, or Gibraltar hold international licences. Those licences do not make the platform legal for users in states that prohibit online gambling. Check where the site is registered and what that means for you.
How do deposits and withdrawals actually work? The Reserve Bank of India restricts sending money abroad for gambling purposes. Because of this, many offshore platforms use e-wallets, crypto, or informal payment agents. This adds financial risk on top of the legal one. Before you deposit anything, check reviews on independent forums, not on affiliate blogs that earn commissions from recommending sites.
Are the bonus terms clear? High bonus offers often come with complex withdrawal conditions. If you have to bet the bonus amount 20 to 30 times before you can withdraw, the bonus is worth much less than it looks.
Is the age verification real? You must be 18 or older to use these platforms. Providing false information to register is an additional legal risk.
When registering on any platform, read the terms before you complete the lotus365 signup process or any similar registration. Understand what you agree to regarding deposits, withdrawals, and account suspension before you put any money in.
Offshore Platforms vs. Indian-Licensed Sites
Most cricket betting platforms that target Indian users are hosted outside India. They accept Indian users and advertise heavily during IPL and bilateral series. Because their servers are abroad, they sit in a legal grey zone for Indian authorities. But that does not protect you as an Indian user. If your state prohibits online gambling, the risk falls on you.
A smaller number of platforms operate under licences issued in Sikkim or Meghalaya. Sports betting is allowed under licence via intranet in Sikkim and Meghalaya. However, those licences apply within the boundaries of those states. Using such a platform from Mumbai, Delhi, or Chennai may still put you outside what is legally permitted in your state.
Whichever platform you use, protect your account. Use a strong, unique password for your lotus365 login or any other platform you access, and do not share your credentials with anyone. Financial accounts on betting sites are a common target for account takeovers.
Red Flags That Should Make You Stop
Do not use any site that promises guaranteed wins, sure-shot predictions, or fixed match tips. That is either fraud or, worse, connected to actual match-fixing, which carries serious criminal penalties in India.
Be careful if a site asks for your PAN card, Aadhaar number, and bank details all at once at registration without a clear privacy policy. Legitimate platforms collect identity documents for KYC, but they explain why and how your data is stored.
Also watch out for platforms that process deposits instantly but have no clear timeline for withdrawals, or that ask you to contact a WhatsApp agent to get your money out. According to the All India Gaming Federation, India loses almost Rs 2 lakh crore every year due to illegal betting on cricket. A significant part of that money ends up on unregulated platforms where users have no legal protection and no consumer redress forum to approach if something goes wrong.
If a platform takes your money and disappears, or freezes your account without reason, you will find it very difficult to recover funds through any official channel in India.
A note on responsible use: If you or someone you know spends more money on betting than you can afford to lose, or finds it hard to stop, please reach out to iCall 1800-599-0019, a mental health support helpline in India. Problem gambling is a recognised condition and help is available.
For a reliable overview of how gambling is regulated in India, the Gambling in India article on Wikipedia offers a useful summary of state-level laws and central legislation.
