There is no simple answer to this question. Due to the nature of lottery regulations in the country, the legality of online lottery can be a bit confusing for people who wish to play online. However, we will try and explain everything we know about the legal online lottery in India.

Is Lottery Legal in India?

The lottery laws in India differ according to the type of lottery you’re talking about. For example, a physical lottery in India can only be played in 13 states that have legalized lottery. In these 13 states, the state governments operate an official lottery, tickets to which can only be bought in person and not online.

You should avoid buying into any hoaxes of “Indian online lottery” or buying state lottery tickets online because these have been created to con people out of money!

Apart from the state government authorized lotteries in the following states, Indians cannot play the physical lottery in India.

Is Online Lottery Legal in India?

Indians can safely and legally play any international lottery online by using a lottery site that is based outside India. Since these online lottery tickets are bought outside the country and the actual lottery is also drawn outside India, you can legally play the online lottery!

Online Lottery can only be considered legal if it is based outside India. Since as per Indian law, only the state governments can run a legal lottery, Indians must play the online lottery site on international websites.

Online lottery is legal in India if played on international lottery sites!

However, since the online lottery is played outside Indian jurisdictions, even people from states where the lottery is considered illegal can play the online lottery!

All you need is an internet connection, a digital payment app, and an electronic device like a mobile or laptop, and you’re ready to buy lottery tickets to some of the largest draws in the world!

Click on the button below and find out how to play the online lottery!

When you’re playing the online lottery, there are actually two types of online lottery websites that you can choose from - a kind that is an online lotto agent and another that practices lotto betting. Let’s take a closer look at the difference between an online lotto website and a lotto betting site and learn more about the Indian laws that govern both kinds of online lottery.

Public Gambling Act of 1867

The Public Gambling Act of 1867 is the Indian law that governs all kinds of gambling activities in the country, which should include any lotto betting websites in its spectrum. However, the Public Gambling Act is not applicable to the entire country all at once.

Since gambling is a state government issue, each state has its own laws when it comes to gambling. But most Indian states choose to accept the Public Gambling Act of 1867, nevertheless.

That said, the Public Gambling Act considers any kind of gambling done in a “public gaming house” to be an illegal activity. Thus, most Indian states consider gambling to be illegal, with the exception of a few states like Goa that chose to write their own laws.

However, the Public Gambling Act makes no mention of “online gambling” or the use of online betting sites. Due to this grey area or “legal loophole”, online gambling or lotto betting on websites that are based outside India, cannot be considered illegal!

Thus, most Indians can freely and legally bet on the online lottery.

Let's find out some more about Betwinner, one of the best lotto betting sites in India!

Lotteries Regulation Act 1998

The Lotteries Regulation Act of 1998 was created by the central government of India to create a set of rules that governed any lotteries that could be drawn in India. As per the Act, only state governments can conduct official lotteries in their respective states.

In fact, as per the Lotteries Act, someone from another state cannot buy a ticket to the lottery organized by another state government. Additionally, these lottery tickets can only be sold by the state government themselves or by state-authorized vendors.

This means that you cannot buy tickets to the Indian lotteries on the internet!

Then how can you play the online lottery in India? That’s simple.

Since the online lotteries that you buy online, such as Powerball, are all drawn outside India. This means that the Lotteries Act does not apply to these particular lotteries. That’s why you can safely and legally buy online lottery tickets through trustworthy lottery websites.

Let's take a closer look at Lottosmile, one of the most trustworthy lotto agents in India!

Now that we have an in-depth understanding of online lottery laws in India, it is time to move on to the next step - actually playing the online lottery legally and safely!

To start playing the online lottery in India, you should just be careful to check that the lottery website that you have chosen, meets these two criteria:

✔️ The online lottery website must be based outside India.

We have already established that only lotteries based outside the country are considered legal. Therefore, we should only use those lottery websites that sell international lottery tickets. Do not fall for scam Indian sites that promise to sell tickets to the Kerala or Punjab lottery!

✔️ The online lottery must accept legal deposit methods in India.

A good rule of thumb to keep yourself and your money safe is to only bet through online lotteries that accept reliable payment methods. Never put your sensitive banking information such as CVV numbers or PINs on any website - this can put you at financial risk.

Instead, try and use online lotteries that accept payment methods such as:

• UPI
• Indian Netbanking
• Google Pay
• PhonePe
• Paytm
• VISA
• Mastercard
• Skrill
• Neteller
• AstroPay
• Cryptocurrency

To find out more about how to deposit on online lotteries, consult our detailed guide by clicking on the button below.

After having gone through our detailed guide to playing the online lottery legally in India, we’re sure that you feel confident enough to start playing on your own. Now is the time to select one of our highly recommended online lotteries and try your luck!