Best Online Casinos For Indian Players

Are online casinos popular in India?

One of the biggest factors driving the rising popularity of online casinos relates to advancements in technology. With more people than ever online, it makes sense that the number of those gaming has also risen. More specifically, however, it is the availability of powerful mobile devices and high-speed mobile internet that has caused these numbers to explode in recent years. Previously, online gambling was conducted primarily through websites which were only compatible with desktop browsers given the limits of mobile technology at the time.

Now, however, users have easy access to high-speed mobile phones which can run full-featured mobile apps which can perfectly recreate the desktop version of the website without any limitations or slow down. The result is that more users than ever are gambling online using their phones.

What makes a good online casino for Indian Players?

The team at SuperLenny look at several criteria for choosing online casinos to recommend to our players.

Do they accept Indian players?
Can deposits & withdrawals be made in Rupees?
Does the casino have live casino games?
Is the casino safe?

How to play for real money at online casinos

If you want to play for real cash online, it is important to ensure you are using an online casino that plays for money rather than ‘play for free.’ Play for free websites or games are a useful tool for practicing different betting strategies, but your winnings won’t earn you any real money. On the flip side, live casino games can only be played for real money. Always check the small print and ensure you are playing to win if you want to cash out your earnings!

Free Games	Real Money Games
It's free ✔	You can win real money when you play ✔
Low risk ✔	Enjoy bonuses ✔
Practice your strategy ✔	Live dealer games ✔
No live dealer games available ❌	High risk ❌
Less variations ❌	Wait for deposits to clear ❌

How to find a secure online casino in India

Trying to find a suitable online casino is a lot more difficult than you might initially have anticipated. With more websites around than ever, it can be difficult to choose who to invest your time and energy into.

Here are a few tips to help you find a secure online casino:

Firstly, it is always recommended to use a casino review site like SuperLenny. This way players can find all the information they need about a casino before they hit that sign up button.
Check how well regulated the casino is. This information should be prominently displayed at the bottom of the website, clearly visible and easy to read. This ensures your account will be protected.
Check the website security. Are you using a secure link? Do they have fraud and anti-virus protection built into the website? These are all important considerations!

How to make a deposit at an online casino

Once you’ve chosen an online casino, you may want to enjoy some bonuses, play live casino games, or place real money bets. In order to do this however, you will need to make a deposit. The good news is that online casinos nowadays, have made this a very straight-forward process. In many cases, it just takes a few clicks. Here’s a quick guide to show you how it’s done.

Go to the casino’s banking or cashier section
Find the deposit option
Enter the amount you wish to deposit
Select your payment method and confirm

Depending on the payment method you have chosen, the money will appear instantly or after a period of time. Once it appears in your account you can start playing real money games or start betting on sports.

History of gambling in India

Although Las Vegas, Atlantic City and Monte Carlo might be the first places that spring to mind when you think of the world’s most famous gambling capitals, India is no stranger to casinos. In fact, India has one of the longest histories of gambling of any country in the world. India has a legacy of gambling stretching all the way back to 7300 BC — if the Ramayana epic is anything to be believed.

Similarly, Sanskrit epics from 3200 BC also make reference to gambling. One of the earliest games played saw punters using the nuts of the Vibhitaka tree as dice, which represented the height of casino gaming technology back in 300 BC.

By the 15th century, India was well and truly in a gambling boom, with legal gambling houses springing up across the Indian subcontinent. In terms of how these gaming houses were regulated, local councils kept a close eye on them to ensure the games were played in strict adherence to the rules, to oversee tax collection, and to ensure appropriate payment methods were used.

Under British colonial rule, gambling was strictly controlled, and a number of acts were passed in the mid-1800s to control what was then viewed as a corrupting influence. Despite these laws, gambling, both as casino games and sports betting, have continued to be a very popular pastime. There are currently a number of regulated forms of gambling — such as the lottery, horse racing, and Paplu (Rummy) — with a lively off-market for those wanting a wider variety of games.

In 1992 the state of Goa legalised gambling and began releasing licenses to luxury hotels. It is estimated around 20 casinos now operate in Goa. The only other state with any form of legalised gambling is Sikkim. These laws also set the legal gambling age in India to 21 years old.

Whereas online gambling has exploded in popularity in the last number of years, with millions of Indians accessing gambling and sports betting sites owned and operated outside of India.

Is online gambling legal in India?

Betting or gambling in India is technically illegal. However, this law only covers land based casinos which prevents any Las Vegas style cities popping up in the country. However, this law does not cover online betting.“Unlike in the US where there is the American Internet Gambling Prohibition Act, no specific laws exist in the Indian system that bar online gambling,” said Vikrant Pachnanda, a Delhi high court advocate.

This has allowed offshore operators to move into the market and provide betting services to people in India. As mentioned above, this has created a lucrative market for several operators with live dealer games and cricket betting growing in popularity.

What about riverboat casinos?

In Goa , one one of the most popular local and tourist attractions are riverboat casinos. Currently on the Mandovi river there are 5 casino boats anchored offering casino entertainment. The question is are they legal? technically yes riverboat casinos are legal providing the meet the regulations set by the state which they are in. People who wish to gamble at these casinos are only permitted to stay for a “cruise” which lasts between an hour to 2 hours max.

Famous casinos in India

Although gambling in India tends to be heavily restricted and controlled by state authorities, there are a number of regions that have been granted exceptions to run casinos. As such, Goa, Daman and Sikkim have all become casino hubs, attracting gambling fans from all over India and the world.

The Deltin Royale group has some of India’s largest casinos and integrated resorts. Located on a boat in the jaw-dropping surroundings of the Panjim river in Goa, the Deltin Royale attracts holiday-goers from all over India. Entry Fee: ₹ 4000 per adult Monday and Thursday, with 2500 one-time play coupon
The Deltin Daman Casino is also a popular casino resort nestled quietly in the surroundings of Daman. Also called ‘mini Goa’, Daman sees thousands of tourists every year flocking to its idyllic surroundings to unwind and enjoy some high-quality casino gambling.
Casino Paradise is one of the best-known floating casinos in Goa and is also known for its luxurious onshore casino.
Strike Casino, housed in the Grand Hyatt Goa compound.

Famous Indian gamblers

With a history of gambling as long and as deep as India’s, it makes sense that the country has given birth to some of the world’s most well-known gambling heroes. From real-life icons to fictional Bollywood stars, India has a rich history of skilled gamblers.

A good example of one of India’s most historic gamblers comes to us in the form of the legend of Murkha Nayanar — one of the 63 ‘hounds of Shiva.’ Murkha stood out amongst these many devotees due to his unusual profession, which saw him showing his devotion to Shiva through gambling. Following an epiphany, Murkha sold his land, possessions and slaves, and spent the proceeds feeding the other devotees of Shiva. Once these funds ran out, he turned his hand towards gambling in order to provide for his flock of devotees.

His status as a wandering traveller worked to his advantage, and he was able to use his anonymity to increase his fortunes at the gambling tables, using his good luck in the games to devote himself to worship. Murkha’s legend lives on today, with many accounts and depictions of his exploits evident in gambling houses across India.

Although poker tournaments haven’t necessarily grown to the level of popularity as they have in bigger markets — such as the United States and China — India has developed a very healthy competitive scene in recent years. Two of the most successful and well-known of these include Nipun Java and Aditya Sushant. When it comes to the hardest working players out there, Java well and truly stands out from the crowd.

After busying himself as a part-time tournament player for a number of years, he finally began to see some major successes in 2014 when he finally broke the $450,000 a year mark with some big tournament wins — a milestone for Indian professional poker players. The following spring, he went on to bank a further $350,000 at various events during the LA Poker Classic and another $226,785 at the WSOP Circuit Bicycle Main Event. Although not quite reaching these meteoric heights again since, Java has continued to work hard, attending multiple big events per year on a very hectic schedule.

Java has recently turned his eye towards the high-roller leagues, and once he finds his feet, we can expect him to sky-rocket to the top of the rankings!

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