Gambling Laws in Karnataka

Legal Online Casinos in Karnataka

What Legal Gambling is available in Karnataka?

Like most of India, there is very little legal gambling in Karnataka. Physical gambling houses are officially outlawed. As are most forms of sports betting and the lottery.

Luckily, you can place most bets without fear of consequence, as long as you wager online at a casino based offshore.

Sadly, there are talks that there may be a new state law soon in place that might ban this form of gambling, too.

There are still a few forms of gambling that it seems will remain ok by Karnataka law including games or skill and betting on horseracing.

The Gambling Laws of Karnataka

Presently the gambling in the state is governed by the Karnataka Police Act, 1963. The current law is very similar to the Public Gambling Act, 1867 which regulates gambling at a federal level.

Under both these laws there is nothing that explicitly stops players from wagering at an online casino.

There is a proposal in the works to officially ban online gambling in Karnataka. But it could go the other way, too.

It is possible that the state could actually amend the bill to rather regulate the online gaming market. Similar to what has happened with the gambling laws of Tamil Nadu and Delhi.

Bengaluru Casinos

Over the years, there has been lots of discussion about legalising Bengaluru casinos. A few years back, there was even a proposal to introduce floating casinos in the area.

At the moment, the state laws are in a bit of a flux. Legally speaking you can’t play at a gambling house anywhere in Bengaluru or the rest of the state.

Essentially, there are no legal Karnataka casinos.

You can, however, wager and win real money by placing your bets at an online casino based outside of India.

If you play at an online casino, you can play all sorts of games including slots, blackjack, roulette and baccarat. So, you are bound to find something that suits your fancy.

Lottery in Karnataka

There are only thirteen states in India that run a legal lottery. Unfortunately, Karnataka is not one of them. In other words, there is nowhere to buy legal lottery tickets in Karnataka.

If you do want to buy lottery tickets legally there are a few methods available to you. You could make your way to one of Karnataka’s bordering states that offer a legal lottery such as Goa or Kerala.

Alternatively, you can buy lottery tickets online. This also has the benefits of a much bigger pool, meaning you could win a much bigger jackpot.

Sports Betting in Karnataka

Unfortunately, Karnataka cricket betting is a bit of a no-no when trying to play a real money bet in person. On the plus side, and for the time being, you can place your cricket bet at an online betting site.

The only stipulation is that the Karnataka betting site must be based offshore. The only form of sports betting in Bengaluru that is available is horseracing.

Curious to know why? A few years ago, the courts ruled betting on horseracing as a game of skill, making it officially legal.

Games of Skill

Depending on where you find yourself in India, you may or may not be able to wager on casino games of skill. Luckily, Karnataka is one of those states. This means that you can win real money by playing several card games in Karnataka.

What differentiates a game of skill from a game of chance is if you can predict or in some way affect the outcome of the result based on skill or knowledge.

Examples of games of skill are rummy and poker.

Of course, since it is not legal to wager at a gambling house, your best bet if you want to play these games is to go online. There are plenty of online casinos and poker rooms that offer you the opportunity.