Rummy, Poker, Fantasy: What's Legal in Your State?

India has no single law for online real-money gaming. Each state can ban or licence it — and several have. Here is the 2026 state-by-state position.

• Skill games (rummy, fantasy sports, poker, chess) — Supreme Court has held these are NOT gambling. Default position: legal.
• Chance games (cricket betting, dice, roulette) — covered by Public Gambling Act, 1867. Default position: illegal.
• Each state can override the default — TN, AP, Telangana have done so for online real-money games.

• GST: 28% on full face value of every deposit (since 1 October 2023).
• TDS: 30% on net winnings, deducted by the operator (Section 194BA).

Official: GST Council · Income-tax Act 115BBJ / 194BA · Grievance Appellate Committee · Cyber-crime helpline 1930.

The state-by-state picture below is the offline / pre-2026 position. For anything played online, the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025 (in force 1 May 2026) now bans online rummy, online poker and online fantasy sports for money nationwide, regardless of whether a state earlier treated them as games of skill. Section 5 prohibits all online money games “whether based on skill, chance, or both” (Section 2(1)(g)); offering one attracts up to 3 years imprisonment or a fine up to ₹1 crore (Section 9), and advertising one up to 2 years or ₹50 lakh. Only free-to-play social versions with no money staked remain outside the ban. Read which money game is legal in India and is online rummy legal in 2026.

For SRB framework, IT Rules 2023, complete law citations, what to do if winnings are not released, and 12 FAQ:

→ Read the full Online Gaming Law guide for India 2026

• Gambling laws — broader citizen guide
• UPI gambling fraud — what to do

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