In India, gambling is considered a touchy subject. As Indians, we do like to engage in harmless betting and playful gambling now and then, especially during festivals. But we always do it in the safety of our own homes, within the trusted circle of friends and family.
In much of the country, gambling is looked down upon as a bad habit, to the point that physical casinos are legally banned almost everywhere. Some states allow games of skill while games of chance are deemed illegal.
In all of India, the legality of gambling, physical or virtual, is always something of a tricky situation. In most Indian states, physical casinos are illegal but online gambling is allowed (unregulated) as long as the casino website is operated by an offshore entity.
This means that you can safely play casino games on online gambling websites as long as the company operating that website is based outside of India.
Only some states, such as Goa, Sikkim, and Nagaland, have legalized both online casinos and physical, in-person gambling. In February of 2021, Meghalaya became the third Northeast state to regulate online gambling under a license-based regime.
Earlier in 2021, the state of Meghalaya passed its most recent gambling law (Meghalaya Regulation of Gaming Ordinance 2021) which made many gambling activities within the state legal, including both games of skill, and games of chance.
Henceforth, all betting activities and gambling operations within the state of Meghalaya will be overseen and regulated by the Meghalaya Gaming Commission. According to this law, gambling licenses will be granted for five years to Indian companies and Indian citizens. These licenses will be renewable every five years.
What does the Government of Meghalaya get out of this arrangement? Revenue, in the form of a gaming royalty, which license holders will need to pay for the license. The gaming royalty will be a fixed percentage of the gross revenue earned by the gambling operation in question.
So, it can be conclusively said that online casinos are completely legal in Meghalaya now. Once the Meghalaya Gaming Commission comes into existence, the residents of Meghalaya may freely and legally participate in both physical, as well as online gambling activities, without the fear of breaking any laws.
While this is great news for the residents of Meghalaya, people who don’t live there don’t have to be disheartened. As we’ve said earlier in this article, online casinos (only those operated by foreign companies) remain unregulated in most Indian states, so you can play online casino games on such websites without the fear of legal repercussions.
If you’re new to online gambling and have no clue where you can safely play online casino games recreationally, we have got you covered. You can check out MyCasino.in to find the best, most suitable online casino for your needs.
As long as the casino website that you pick is run by an offshore company, accepts payments in Indian Rupees, and disburses payments in a safe and reliable manner, you can let yourself be entertained by fun, fancy casino games that provide the same thrill as actual gambling houses.
Though you should always keep in mind that gambling can become an addiction if not kept in check, there is no reason why you cannot enjoy recreational and responsible online gambling sometimes, purely as a form of entertainment. Never look at gambling as a way of earning money.
Hopefully, this is something the people of Meghalaya will remember too when enjoying the perks of their state’s new gambling regulatory law.
