Right to Information Wiki
Is gambling legal in your state? (April 2026)

Short rule: Online satta = illegal everywhere. Online skill games = legal in most states. Three states ban almost everything online. Casinos are in-person only.

Is gambling legal in your state? (April 2026)

Short rule: Online satta = illegal everywhere. Online skill games = legal in most states. Three states ban almost everything online. Casinos are in-person only.

❌ Banned states (online real-money gaming)

Tamil Nadu · Andhra Pradesh · Telangana — geo-blocked even on registered apps.

✅ Where casinos & lotteries are permitted

  • Casinos (in-person only): Goa · Daman · Sikkim.
  • State lotteries: Kerala · Punjab · Maharashtra · Goa · Sikkim · Mizoram · Nagaland · Manipur · MP · WB · Arunachal · Meghalaya · Assam.
  • Private lotteries: illegal everywhere (Lotteries Regulation Act 1998).

Everywhere else

Online skill games legal · online chance games illegal · offline casinos illegal.

From 1 May 2026

Every real-money app must be OGRAI-registered. Check the live register at ograi.gov.in/registered. Player penalty (up to ₹10,000) for knowingly using unregistered apps from 1 Nov 2026.

Whatever your state

Winnings = 30% tax under §115BBJ — even on illegal apps. In trouble: call 1930 · file at cybercrime.gov.in.

Read the full state map

righttoinformation.wiki/gambling-laws-state-by-state-india

RTI Wiki — citizen-first legal content. April 2026. Forward when someone asks “is it legal in our state?”

Why this matters for citizens

Issues like this are common — every year lakhs of Indian citizens face the same hurdle. The core legal frameworks are the Right to Information Act, 2005, the Information Technology Act, 2000 (for online matters), and the Consumer Protection Act, 2019. The enforcement bodies vary by issue but most start with a complaint to the relevant department PIO + a parallel CPGRAMS filing.

Citizen action steps

  1. Step 1 — file an RTI under §6 of the RTI Act 2005 to the relevant department PIO. Use AI RTI Drafter for free.
  2. Step 2 — parallel CPGRAMS complaint at pgportal.gov.in for service-delivery push.
  3. Step 3 — if PIO refuses, §19(1) First Appeal in 30 days. Use First Appeal Builder.
  4. Step 4 — for fraud / criminal matters, FIR at local police station + cybercrime portal (cybercrime.gov.in) + NCRP helpline 1930.
  5. Step 5 — for consumer issues, Consumer Court under Consumer Protection Act 2019 (e-filing at edaakhil.nic.in).

Citations and sources

  • Right to Information Act, 2005 — full text
  • Bhagat Singh v. CIC (Delhi HC, 2007) — procedural objections cannot defeat RTI
  • CPGRAMS — pgportal.gov.in (DARPG)
  • Cybercrime portal — cybercrime.gov.in
  • National Consumer Helpline — 1915