The ordinance of betting or wagering money or something having considerable value on a circumstance that has an unpredictable conclusion is known as gambling. In India, Gambling is strictly prohibited in all states instead of Goa, Daman, and Sikkim.
Introduction
Gambling is considered the game of rich people in India. According to the Public Gambling Act of 1867, particularly all forms of gambling are illegal in India. But States are given the power to formulate gambling laws according to their own.
That is why some states like Goa have legalised casinos. In other states organised betting is strictly restricted rather than some particular classifications including horse races and lotteries.
These categories of gambling are not prohibited because they don’t involve money laundering, crimes, and corruption. States like Goa and Assam allow casinos because it is one of the great sources of revenue for them,
Goa had collected about 135 crores in 2019 as a tax from casinos. But other states argue that casinos will result in crimes, corruption, and massive money laundering; that’s why they sanction a ban on gambling activities in their province.
Impact of Gambling in India
As India is moving towards digitalization, everyone has a smartphone and internet connection which causes a huge spread of online gambling. It is done through online applications, games, and even betting on IPL is a prominent type of gambling that circulates and is governed by gambling mafias through the internet.
Online gambling is in its infancy in India. The state of Sikkim decided to release three online gambling India licences in their state; it also planned to commence an online lottery that takes bets from all over India. It is also anticipated that the government of other states would follow Sikkim and a huge online gambling market will begin to commerce in India.
The ban on online casinos is not followed for non-Indian online gambling applications and websites that are focusing on and targeting people from India. Although some states like Telangana and AP have banned any type of online gambling and the person who is found guilty would be fined and imprisoned for one year.
Online casinos are operated from foreign countries like Malaysia and Myanmar and their primary focus is on Indian people. Online casino India, would have negative effects on society and nation.
The crime rate would extend, money landing would become straightforward. It becomes difficult for government agencies to track illegal transactions. After the introduction to Cryptocurrency ( tracking which is next to impossible), several online casinos gather bets through them. They commonly use the Dark web for their betting and gambling offers. IPL betting in India is the biggest example of online gambling.
Conclusion
There are both negative and positive impacts of Online casino India. It will provide a passive source of income to the government whereas, on the other hand, it increases the crime rate, corruption, and money laundering. The government needs to find a middle way along with some set of rules and laws before commencing online and offline gambling openly in India.
