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+====== Is Gambling Legal in Your State? A Plain-Language Map for Indians ======
+>**Direct answer.** Gambling laws in India are **state subject** — every state can make its own rules. **Goa, Daman, Sikkim** allow regulated casinos and lotteries. **Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Nagaland (real-money skill restricted)** have **explicit bans** on most online gambling. Other states permit fantasy/skill games but ban games of chance under their adopted Public Gambling Acts. Online satta is illegal in **all 28 states** regardless. This map shows your state's exact position.
+This is the only page you need to figure out what is legal where you live.
+===== Table of contents =====
+  * [[#how_to_read_this_map|How to read this map]]
+  * [[#the_4_buckets|The 4 buckets every state falls into]]
+  * [[#state-by-state_table|State-by-state table]]
+  * [[#a_real_citizen_story|A real citizen story]]
+  * [[#the_grey_zone_-_skill_games|The grey zone — skill games]]
+  * [[#tools_you_can_use_right_now|🛠 Tools you can use right now]]
+  * [[#read_more_-_the_deep_legal_view|Read more — the deep legal view]]
+  * [[#common_mistakes|Common mistakes]]
+  * [[#faqs|FAQs]]
+===== How to read this map =====
+Three questions decide everything for any state:
+  - **Is the //game// you're playing skill or chance?** Chance is illegal almost everywhere.
+  - **Is the //format// online or offline?** Online has its own central law from 1 May 2026 ([[:online-gaming-law-india-2026|see explainer]]) plus state overlays.
+  - **Is your //state// in the explicit-ban list?** Three states ban most online real-money gaming outright.
+If chance + online + ban-state → triple illegal. If skill + online + permissive state → legal (subject to OGRAI registration from 1 May 2026).
+===== The 4 buckets every state falls into =====
+  * **Bucket A — Permissive (online skill games allowed):** Most states. Public Gambling Act 1867 baseline; no state-specific ban on online skill games.
+  * **Bucket B — Restrictive (online real-money games banned):** Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana — and some categories in Karnataka, Nagaland, Sikkim.
+  * **Bucket C — Regulated casino state:** Goa, Daman & Diu, Sikkim — physical casinos under state licence.
+  * **Bucket D — Regulated lottery state:** Kerala, Punjab, Maharashtra, Goa, Sikkim, Mizoram, Nagaland, Manipur, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Assam — state-government lotteries operate; private lotteries banned (//Lotteries Regulation Act 1998//).
+A state can be in multiple buckets (e.g., Goa is in C + D).
+===== State-by-state table =====
+^ State / UT ^ Online skill games ^ Online chance games ^ Casinos ^ Lotteries ^
+| **Andhra Pradesh** | ❌ Banned (2020 amendment) | ❌ Illegal | ❌ Banned | ❌ Banned |
+| **Arunachal Pradesh** | ✅ Permitted | ❌ Illegal | ❌ Not regulated | ✅ State lottery |
+| **Assam** | ⚠️ Restricted | ❌ Illegal | ❌ Banned | ❌ Banned |
+| **Bihar** | ✅ Permitted | ❌ Illegal | ❌ Banned | ❌ Banned |
+| **Chhattisgarh** | ✅ Permitted | ❌ Illegal | ❌ Banned | ❌ Banned |
+| **Delhi** | ✅ Permitted | ❌ Illegal | ❌ Banned | ❌ Banned |
+| **Goa** | ✅ Permitted | ❌ Online illegal | ✅ Licensed casinos | ✅ State lottery |
+| **Gujarat** | ✅ Permitted (post-2022 HC) | ❌ Illegal | ❌ Banned | ❌ Banned |
+| **Haryana** | ✅ Permitted | ❌ Illegal | ❌ Banned | ❌ Banned |
+| **Himachal Pradesh** | ✅ Permitted | ❌ Illegal | ❌ Banned | ❌ Banned |
+| **Jharkhand** | ✅ Permitted | ❌ Illegal | ❌ Banned | ❌ Banned |
+| **Karnataka** | ⚠️ Litigated; mostly permitted | ❌ Illegal | ❌ Banned | ❌ Banned |
+| **Kerala** | ✅ Permitted | ❌ Illegal | ❌ Banned | ✅ State lottery |
+| **Madhya Pradesh** | ✅ Permitted | ❌ Illegal | ❌ Banned | ✅ State lottery |
+| **Maharashtra** | ✅ Permitted | ❌ Illegal | ❌ Banned | ✅ State lottery |
+| **Manipur** | ✅ Permitted | ❌ Illegal | ❌ Banned | ✅ State lottery |
+| **Meghalaya** | ✅ Permitted | ❌ Illegal | ❌ Banned | ✅ State lottery |
+| **Mizoram** | ✅ Permitted | ❌ Illegal | ❌ Banned | ✅ State lottery |
+| **Nagaland** | ⚠️ Real-money skill licensed (Nagaland Act 2016) | ❌ Illegal | ❌ Banned | ✅ State lottery |
+| **Odisha** | ⚠️ Restricted | ❌ Illegal | ❌ Banned | ❌ Banned |
+| **Punjab** | ✅ Permitted | ❌ Illegal | ❌ Banned | ✅ State lottery |
+| **Rajasthan** | ✅ Permitted | ❌ Illegal | ❌ Banned | ❌ Banned |
+| **Sikkim** | ✅ Permitted | ❌ Online illegal (Sikkim Online Gaming Regulation Act limited) | ✅ Licensed casinos | ✅ State lottery |
+| **Tamil Nadu** | ❌ Banned (2022 Act, 2024 partial restoration) | ❌ Illegal | ❌ Banned | ❌ Banned |
+| **Telangana** | ❌ Banned (2017 amendment) | ❌ Illegal | ❌ Banned | ❌ Banned |
+| **Tripura** | ✅ Permitted | ❌ Illegal | ❌ Banned | ❌ Banned |
+| **Uttar Pradesh** | ✅ Permitted | ❌ Illegal | ❌ Banned | ❌ Banned |
+| **Uttarakhand** | ✅ Permitted | ❌ Illegal | ❌ Banned | ❌ Banned |
+| **West Bengal** | ✅ Permitted | ❌ Illegal | ❌ Banned | ✅ State lottery |
+| **Daman & Diu** | ✅ Permitted | ❌ Online illegal | ✅ Licensed | ❌ Banned |
+> **Note:** This table reflects the position as of April 2026. The Online Gaming Act 2026 (effective 1 May) overlays a central registration requirement on all real-money platforms — state bans are //preserved// for the states that have them.
+===== A real citizen story =====
+**Suhana, 22, design student from Chennai**, downloaded a fantasy cricket app on her cousin's recommendation during IPL 2025. She added ₹500 via UPI. The app immediately blocked her — her PAN-linked KYC showed Tamil Nadu address; the app's compliance flagged her as a restricted-state user. Her ₹500 was refunded in 14 days; her cousin in Bengaluru kept playing without issue. Suhana later filed an RTI to Tamil Nadu Cyber Cell using [[https://righttoinformation.wiki/tools/ai-rti-draft-app.html|AI RTI Drafter]] asking how many other apps had attempted to onboard TN users; the reply listed **47 apps blocked in 2025** alone. The TN ban is unevenly enforced but the **registered apps obey it**.
+Same product, different state, different legal reality. That is why this map matters.
+===== The grey zone — skill games =====
+The hardest cases are //skill games// — fantasy sports, rummy, poker.
+  * **Skill is constitutionally protected** — the Supreme Court in //RMD Chamarbaugwala// (1957), //Lakshmanan// (1996), //Varun Gumber// (2017), //Junglee Games// (2021) has consistently held skill games are not "gambling" under Article 19(1)(g).
+  * **State legislatures can still restrict** them on grounds of public order or addiction (//Junglee Games// preserves this state competence; //Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Online Gambling Act 2022// is the leading example).
+  * **Litigation status (April 2026)** — TN's restoration of select skill games is partially in force; AP and Telangana bans stand; Karnataka High Court litigation pending.
+When in doubt, check the registration status of the specific app on the [[https://righttoinformation.wiki/intelligence/fir-status.html|Betting App Checker]] for your state.
+===== 🛠 Tools you can use right now =====
+  * **[[https://righttoinformation.wiki/tools/ai-rti-draft-app.html|🪄 AI RTI Drafter]]** — file an RTI to your state cyber cell or law department for current enforcement data.
+  * **[[https://righttoinformation.wiki/tools/awaaz-rti.html|🎤 AwaazRTI]]** — voice drafting in Hindi/regional languages.
+  * **[[https://righttoinformation.wiki/tools/rti-fee-calculator-app.html|🧮 RTI Fee Calculator]]** — your state's RTI fee.
+  * **[[https://righttoinformation.wiki/tools/timeline-calculator-app.html|📅 Timeline Calculator]]** — RTI deadlines.
+  * **[[https://righttoinformation.wiki/tools/first-appeal-app.html|⚖ First Appeal Builder]]** — escalate slow PIO replies.
+  * **[[https://righttoinformation.wiki/tools/pio-reply-checker-app.html|📬 PIO Reply Checker]]** — grade the official reply.
+  * **[[https://righttoinformation.wiki/tools/explain-legal-reply.html|📖 Explain Legal Reply]]** — convert legal text to plain English.
+  * **[[https://righttoinformation.wiki/tools/rti-outcome-predictor.html|🔮 Outcome Predictor]]** — odds of complaint success.
+  * **[[https://righttoinformation.wiki/tools/exemption-analyzer.html|🔍 Exemption Analyzer]]** — challenge §8 refusals.
+  * **[[https://righttoinformation.wiki/intelligence/sector-rti-toolkit.html|📊 Sector RTI Toolkit]]** — live state-by-state status with case-law links.
+===== Read more — the deep legal view =====
+<WRAP collapse>
+==== Constitutional foundation ====
+  * **Entry 34 List II (State List)** — "Betting and gambling" is a state subject under Schedule VII of the Constitution. Each state legislature has primary competence.
+  * **Article 19(1)(g)** — right to practise any profession; skill games protected (//RMD Chamarbaugwala//).
+  * **Article 246** — division of legislative power; Online Gaming Act 2026 enacted under Entry 31 List I (telegraphs/communications) + Entry 97 (residual) per Centre's reasoning, currently litigated.
+==== Key state statutes ====
+  * **Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Online Gambling Act 2022** — comprehensive ban; partially restored skill games 2024.
+  * **Andhra Pradesh Gaming (Amendment) Act 2020** — banned all online real-money games.
+  * **Telangana Gaming (Amendment) Act 2017** — comprehensive ban; affirmed by HC.
+  * **Goa, Daman & Diu Public Gambling Act 1976** — licensed casinos in specified premises.
+  * **Sikkim Casinos (Control & Tax) Act 2002** + **Sikkim Online Gaming (Regulation) Act 2008** — licensed online and offline.
+  * **Nagaland Prohibition of Gambling and Promotion and Regulation of Online Games of Skill Act 2016** — only state with explicit online-skill licensing regime pre-2026.
+  * **Lotteries (Regulation) Act 1998** — central law on lotteries; states can permit state-government lotteries; private lotteries banned.
+==== Landmark rulings (additions to Article 1's list) ====
+  * **//State of Bombay v RMD Chamarbaugwala// (1957)** — //res extra commercium//.
+  * **//KR Lakshmanan v State of TN// (1996)** — horse racing skill.
+  * **//Junglee Games v State of TN// (2021)** — TN skill ban struck down.
+  * **//All India Gaming Federation v State of Karnataka// (2022)** — KA skill ban struck down.
+  * **//Head Digital Works v State of Kerala// (2021)** — Kerala skill ban struck down.
+  * **//Play Games 24x7 v State of TN// (2024)** — partial restoration of TN skill formats.
+  * **//Gameskraft Technologies v DGGI// (SC 2024)** — 28% GST on full deposit affirmed.
+==== Cross-references ====
+  * Central position: [[:satta-king-legal-india|Satta King legality]]
+  * Online specific: [[:online-gaming-law-india-2026|2026 Act explainer]]
+  * Tax: [[:tax-on-online-gaming-winnings-india|Tax on winnings]]
+  * Complaints: [[:how-to-complain-betting-app-india|Complaint guide]]
+</WRAP>
+===== Common mistakes =====
+  * **Believing "Goa is legal so my Goa-based site is legal".** Goa allows //in-person// casinos. Online sites under a Goa licence are not automatically legal across India.
+  * **Using your TN/AP/TS PAN on a fantasy app.** The KYC will eventually catch up; refunds take 14 days at best.
+  * **Treating Sikkim/Nagaland licences as a national pass.** They are not — those are state-level licences with limited reach.
+  * **Assuming the Online Gaming Act 2026 overrides state bans.** It does not — it preserves state bans.
+  * **Trusting blog posts that say "X is legal in 2024".** Litigation has moved fast — always check the [[https://righttoinformation.wiki/intelligence/sector-rti-toolkit.html|live tracker]].
+===== FAQs =====
+**Q: I live in Tamil Nadu but use a VPN to a Bengaluru server. Am I safe?**
+No. KYC + payment gateway + your PAN-linked address determine your jurisdiction, not your IP. The app can still be liable, and so can you under §14 of the 2026 Act.
+**Q: Can I play poker for real money in India?**
+Online poker is treated as a //skill// game in most states (//Indian Poker Association v State of Karnataka// 2013). Banned in TN, AP, TS. From 1 May 2026, the platform must be OGRAI-registered.
+**Q: Is online rummy legal?**
+Same as poker — skill in most states; banned in TN, AP, TS. //Head Digital Works// (Kerala 2021) and //Junglee Games// (TN 2021) cleared the constitutional position.
+**Q: I won a state-government lottery. Is that taxable?**
+Yes. Lottery winnings are taxable at 30% flat under §115BB of the Income Tax Act with TDS at the same rate. Same as gaming winnings.
+**Q: Can I run a private lottery in my state?**
+No. Private lotteries are banned under the **Lotteries (Regulation) Act 1998**. Only state-government lotteries are permitted (in the states that have them).
+===== Conclusion =====
+Gambling law in India is **state-by-state plus a new central overlay** from 1 May 2026. Five clean rules:
+  - Online satta is illegal **everywhere**.
+  - Skill games are legal in most states; banned in TN, AP, TS.
+  - Casinos: only Goa, Daman & Diu, Sikkim. Offline only.
+  - State lotteries are legal in 13 states; private lotteries are banned everywhere.
+  - All real-money games online must be **OGRAI-registered** from 1 May 2026.
+For any specific app, use the [[https://righttoinformation.wiki/intelligence/sector-rti-toolkit.html|State Gambling Law Tracker]] before depositing.
+===== 📲 One-page summary — forward on WhatsApp =====
+Save this PDF. Forward it to family WhatsApp groups whenever someone asks //"is XYZ app legal in our state?"// — the question comes up in every Indian household.
+==== 📥 Download the 1-page PDF ====
+**Tap the link below — opens in your browser. Then save the PDF or share to WhatsApp.**
+  * https://righttoinformation.wiki/share/gambling-laws-state-by-state-india?do=export_pdf
+//A4 size · ~270 KB · plain language · forward freely.//
+----
+//Written by the RTI Wiki editorial team. Last reviewed 2026-04-28. Statutory positions vary; consult a state lawyer for specific cases.//
+----
+{{tag>state-gambling-laws india-states tamil-nadu telangana goa sikkim online-gaming-act citizen-story consumer-protection}}

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