The legal status of online cricket betting in India changed permanently in August 2025. The PROGA Act — the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act — came into force that month and imposed a nationwide ban on real-money online gaming, ending more than a decade of regulatory ambiguity that Indian bettors had operated within.
But the question most people are actually asking when they search this is more specific: can you still bet on cricket online in India in 2026, and what is the realistic personal risk if you do?
This guide answers that question completely and honestly, is online cricket betting legal in india? It covers what the August 2025 legislation actually prohibits, what penalties apply and to whom, what continues to operate, the Supreme Court constitutional challenge currently underway, and what the practical implications are for an individual bettor in India — not just for platform operators. This page does not tell you what to do. It gives you the verified facts to make an informed decision.
Mandatory disclaimer: This page is for educational and informational purposes only. It does not constitute legal advice. Laws change frequently. Your specific situation is affected by your state of residence and individual circumstances. If you require legal guidance, consult a qualified lawyer. Use of offshore platforms remains your personal and legal responsibility.
Before August 2025 — Why Cricket Betting Law in India Was a Patchwork
To understand what the new law changed, you need to understand how genuinely fragmented the cricket betting legal situation was before it.
The Public Gambling Act 1867
India’s foundational gambling legislation was written in 1867 — under British colonial administration, 76 years before Independence, and over a century before the internet existed. The Public Gambling Act 1867 prohibited running or visiting a “common gaming house” but applied almost entirely to physical premises. It contained no reference to online cricket betting, offshore platforms, or digital transactions — because none of these things existed in 1867.
For most of independent India’s history, this Victorian-era law remained the primary national legislation governing gambling activity. Its complete inability to address online betting created the legal grey zone that cricket betting in India operated within throughout the 2010s and early 2020s.
State-Level Authority — Why Cricket Betting Law Differed Across India
Under the Indian Constitution, gambling is a State List subject (Entry 34, List II) — meaning individual states, not the central government, hold the primary authority to regulate it. This produced a deeply uneven legal landscape:
- Goa, Sikkim, Meghalaya — enacted their own online gaming regulations allowing licensed operators under state oversight
- Nagaland — issued licences specifically for “games of skill” played online for real money
- Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu — had varying levels of anti-gambling legislation, some of which courts had interpreted to include online platforms, some not
- Most other states — operated under the 1867 Act with no online-specific guidance whatsoever
The practical result: the same online cricket betting activity could be technically legal in one state, technically illegal in a neighbouring state, and completely unaddressed in a third — with no national framework to resolve the contradiction. This was the landscape for over a decade.
The IT Act and the Offshore Loophole
The Information Technology Act 2000 and its 2008 amendment addressed cybercrime broadly but did not directly regulate online gambling. Critically, neither the 1867 Act nor the IT Act had clear extraterritorial reach over offshore platforms — websites and applications hosted outside India but serving Indian users. This jurisdictional gap was what offshore cricket betting operators exploited for years before August 2025.
The PROGA Act 2025 — What the Legislation Actually Says (Is online cricket betting legal in india)
What the Act?
The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act 2025 — PROGA — was passed by Parliament and came into force in August 2025. It is India’s first dedicated central legislation specifically addressing online gaming and betting as a unified framework, replacing the fragmented state-law patchwork and the 1867 Act as the primary national authority on the subject.
Despite its name — “Promotion AND Regulation” — the legislation’s core effect for real-money gaming is prohibitive. The Act establishes a certification framework for “permitted games of skill” while categorically banning wagering and betting on any online platform, including offshore ones accessed by Indian residents.
What the Act Prohibits
Section 4 of the legislation prohibits:
- All online wagering and betting on any sporting event — including cricket — regardless of platform location
- Real-money online games where outcomes are determined by chance rather than skill
- Offshore platforms offering any prohibited activity to Indian users — regardless of where the platform is physically hosted
- Indian payment intermediaries — banks, UPI operators, payment gateways — processing transactions to or from any prohibited platform
That final provision — payment intermediary liability — is the most consequential enforcement mechanism the law contains. It is why Indian banks began blocking UPI transactions to known cricket betting accounts in late 2025, and why the payment landscape for offshore betting became more complicated immediately after the ban.
What the Act Permits
The legislation does not ban all online gaming. It establishes a framework for:
- Games of skill — where outcomes are primarily determined by player skill rather than chance. Rummy, chess, and certain card games have historically received this classification from Indian courts.
- Permissible online games — those certified by a government-approved Self-Regulatory Organisation (SRO) as genuinely skill-based
Cricket betting — placing a wager on a match result — is classified under the new framework as betting and wagering, not a game of skill. It falls under the prohibited category without any exception.
Penalties Under the Act
The penalties are directed primarily at operators — platforms and individuals running betting services — not at individual bettors:
| Violation | Penalty |
| Operating a prohibited online gaming platform | Up to ₹1 crore fine + up to 3 years imprisonment |
| Facilitating payments to prohibited platforms | Up to ₹50 lakh fine |
| Advertising or promoting prohibited platforms | Up to ₹25 lakh fine |
| Repeat violations | Enhanced penalties at court discretion |
For individual users: The Act does not specify criminal penalties for individual bettors accessing offshore platforms. Enforcement to date has focused on operators and payment networks. However, this does not mean individual users carry zero legal risk — the statutory prohibition applies to users as well, and enforcement priorities can evolve.
The Supreme Court Challenge — Current Status May 2026
The new gaming legislation has been challenged before the Supreme Court of India on constitutional grounds. The challenge was filed by a consortium of online gaming companies, supported by major industry bodies, and raises three primary arguments:
Ground 1 — Violation of the Skill vs Chance Doctrine
Indian courts have consistently distinguished between games of skill — legal — and games of chance — gambling. The Supreme Court’s landmark ruling in K.R. Lakshmanan vs State of Tamil Nadu (1996) established horse racing as a game of skill, a principle extended to rummy and other games in subsequent High Court judgments. The petitioners argue that the blanket prohibition fails to properly apply this established skill-chance distinction and sweeps up lawful activity in its overreach.
Ground 2 — State List Encroachment
Because gambling is a State List subject under the Constitution, the petitioners argue the central government lacked the constitutional authority to enact a law of this scope. The government’s position is that the legislation is enacted under Entry 97 (residuary powers) and the Information Technology framework — not Entry 34 — giving it valid central jurisdiction.
Ground 3 — Right to Livelihood (Article 19)
The challenge argues the legislation violates the fundamental rights of gaming professionals, platform developers, and workers whose livelihoods depend on the industry.
Current Status — May 2026
The Supreme Court has admitted the challenge and issued notice to the Union of India. Proceedings are ongoing. The Court has not issued any stay of the Act’s provisions — meaning the law is fully in force while the challenge continues. A final ruling is not expected before late 2026 at the earliest, and proceedings may extend further.
Practical meaning: The Act is the current law. The Supreme Court challenge may ultimately modify or strike down parts of it — but that outcome is neither guaranteed nor imminent.
What Actually Changed After August 2025 — The Offshore Reality
The new legislation did not end online cricket betting in India. It changed where and how it happens.
Offshore Usage Increased
In the months following the August 2025 ban, offshore cricket betting platform usage among Indian users rose from approximately 68% to 82% of all online betting activity. This counterintuitive result — a ban increasing offshore participation — reflects a pattern seen in every jurisdiction that has implemented prohibition without effective technical enforcement mechanisms.
Fantasy Platforms Were Hit Hardest
The platforms most severely affected by the new law were licensed Indian gaming companies — fantasy sports operators including Dream11, MPL, and My11Circle, whose real-money cash contest formats were classified as prohibited. These companies either suspended real-money operations, shifted to free-to-play formats, or joined the Supreme Court challenge.
Offshore cricket betting platforms — operators hosted outside India beyond domestic regulatory reach — were already functioning outside the Indian legal framework before the ban. The law’s practical enforcement reach over an offshore entity hosted in Curaçao or Malta is limited by basic jurisdictional reality.
Payment Blocking — The Real Enforcement Tool
The most effective mechanism the new law has activated is payment network pressure. The provision requiring Indian payment intermediaries to block transactions to prohibited platforms has produced:
- Banks identifying and blocking UPI transfers to known cricket betting accounts
- Payment gateways refusing to process deposits for offshore gaming platforms
- A significant increase in crypto payment usage — USDT, Bitcoin — by users navigating around UPI restrictions
This has created genuine friction for depositing onto offshore cricket betting platforms. But for users who adapt payment methods, access to offshore operators continues uninterrupted.
Individual Enforcement Reality
As of May 2026, there are no documented cases of an individual Indian bettor being prosecuted solely for placing cricket bets on an offshore platform. All enforcement actions have targeted operators, WhatsApp agents, and payment intermediaries — not end users.
This reflects current enforcement priorities, not legal exposure. The statutory prohibitions technically apply to users engaging with prohibited platforms. Enforcement focus can shift without legislative change.
State-Wise Cricket Betting Legal Status — 2026 Overview
The Act is central legislation but the state-law landscape remains relevant because state governments retain independent enforcement authority and some states have pre-existing betting provisions that interact with the central framework.
| State | Notable Legal Position |
| Goa | Own Gambling Act covers physical casinos. Online cricket betting — central legislation applies. |
| Sikkim | Had its own online gaming licensing regime — effectively superseded for betting by the new central law. |
| Nagaland | Skill gaming licences still technically exist but their scope post-August 2025 is legally uncertain. |
| Telangana | Had its own strict anti-gambling ordinance from 2017 — dual-layer restrictions pre-dating the central ban. |
| Andhra Pradesh | Own gaming restriction ordinance predating the central legislation — additional layer of restriction. |
| Maharashtra | Maharashtra Prevention of Gambling Act applies alongside central law. Dual-layer legal exposure for users. |
| Karnataka | Karnataka Police Act provisions apply. Complex history — High Court previously struck down a separate gaming ordinance. |
| Tamil Nadu | Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Online Gambling Act (2022) predated and parallels the central framework. |
| All other states | Public Gambling Act 1867 + central legislation. New law is the primary relevant framework. |
Important note: This table summarises the legislative landscape only — it is not legal advice. For your specific state, situation, and risk exposure, consult a qualified Indian lawyer.
Fantasy Cricket vs Cricket Betting After August 2025 — Are They Treated the Same?
This is one of the most commonly asked questions since the ban took effect.
Before August 2025: The distinction was clear and legally established. Fantasy cricket equalled game of skill equalled legal under existing judicial precedents. Cricket betting equalled wagering on outcomes equalled illegal under applicable state laws. Two separate industries with two different legal treatments.
After August 2025: The Act’s prohibition covers “wagering or betting” and all “real-money games of chance.” The new framework’s definition of a “permissible game of skill” is narrower than the previous judicial standard and requires formal certification by a government-approved SRO.
In practice following the ban:
- Dream11, MPL, and My11Circle suspended real-money cash contest formats within weeks of the Act coming into force
- Free-to-play fantasy formats continue to operate — no real-money element, no prohibition
- The industry is waiting for the SRO certification framework to be finalised, which could potentially allow skill-certified platforms to re-launch real-money formats
- Fantasy gaming operators are part of the Supreme Court challenge arguing their platforms are constitutionally protected as skill games
The short answer: real-money fantasy cricket on major Indian platforms is currently unavailable in the form it existed pre-August 2025. This situation remains in legal flux — the outcome depends on the Supreme Court and SRO development timeline.
What This Means for an Individual Bettor in India — 2026
If you have been betting on cricket online
You are in the position the vast majority of Indian online bettors currently occupy: using offshore platforms that continue to operate despite the national prohibition. Individual enforcement has not occurred to date. Your real risks are:
- Payment friction — your bank may block UPI transactions to known cricket betting accounts
- Legal exposure — the statutory prohibition applies to users, not only to operators, even if enforcement has targeted operators
- Fraud risk — the post-ban environment has significantly increased the volume of cricket betting scam activity.
If you are considering starting cricket betting
You should be clearly aware that:
- Real-money betting on any cricket platform is prohibited under current Indian law
- Offshore platforms are not licensed or regulated in India — no consumer protection exists if something goes wrong
- The legal landscape may change further depending on the Supreme Court ruling and SRO framework development
If cricket betting has caused you harm
The legislation does not affect your access to free support. If cricket betting — legal or otherwise — has caused financial harm, relationship damage, or mental health impact, confidential help is available right now at no cost.
Free Helplines — India:
- iCall India: 9152987821 (Monday to Saturday, 8 AM to 10 PM — free)
- Vandrevala Foundation: 1860-2662-345 (24 hours, 7 days a week — completely free)
- NIMHANS Bangalore: 080-46110007
- Sumaitri Delhi: 011-23389090
Frequently Asked Questions — Is online cricket betting legal in india 2026
Q: Is online cricket betting legal in India in 2026?
A: No. Under the PROGA Act 2025, online cricket betting is prohibited in India. The legislation came into force in August 2025, bans wagering on all sporting events including cricket — on domestic and offshore platforms alike — and remains fully in effect while a Supreme Court constitutional challenge proceeds.
Q: What is the PROGA Act 2025?
A: PROGA — the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act — is India’s first national legislation specifically addressing online gaming and betting. It prohibits real-money wagering and betting while establishing a certification framework for skill-based games. Penalties for operators include up to ₹1 crore fine and 3 years imprisonment.
Q: Can I be arrested for betting on cricket online in India?
A: The Act’s penalties are directed primarily at platform operators and payment intermediaries, not individual bettors. As of May 2026, no individual bettor has been prosecuted solely for using an offshore cricket betting platform. However, the statutory prohibition applies to users as well, and enforcement priorities can change. This is not legal advice.
Q: Are offshore cricket betting platforms legal in India?
A: No. The legislation explicitly covers offshore platforms accessed by Indian residents — not only India-based operators. However, India’s practical enforcement jurisdiction over entities based abroad is limited. Offshore platforms continue to operate and be accessed by Indian users despite the prohibition.
Q: Is Dream11 still available after the ban?
A: Dream11 and similar fantasy sports platforms suspended real-money cash contest formats following the Act’s enactment. Free-to-play formats continue to operate. The industry is challenging the law’s applicability to skill-based fantasy games in the Supreme Court. Real-money fantasy cricket is not currently available on major Indian platforms in the form it existed before August 2025.
Q: Which Indian state has the strictest cricket betting laws?
A: Telangana and Andhra Pradesh enacted their own strict anti-online gambling ordinances before the central legislation, creating dual-layer restrictions. Tamil Nadu passed its own Online Gambling Prohibition Act in 2022. These states had the strongest existing frameworks even before August 2025.
Q: Will the law be overturned by the Supreme Court?
A: The Supreme Court has admitted a constitutional challenge and proceedings are ongoing as of May 2026. The Court has not issued any stay — the law remains fully in force. A ruling is not expected before late 2026. Whether the legislation is upheld, modified, or struck down is unknown.
Q: What happened to UPI payments for cricket betting after the ban?
A: The legislation requires Indian payment intermediaries to block transactions to prohibited platforms. Banks have implemented these blocks, making UPI deposits to offshore cricket betting platforms increasingly unreliable. Many users have moved to crypto payments — USDT, Bitcoin — as an alternative.