Indians have been fond of gambling since time immemorial. The discovery of dice-like structures at the Indus Valley Civilization sites, and the mention of gambling games in epics like Mahabharata. Talking about modern times, gambling was banned in India during British rule.
The Public Gambling Act passed in 1867 banned the running of gambling houses, and visiting one. Those found guilty of breaking this law were liable to imprisonment for up to 6 months or faced a fine of up to ₹200. After independence, even though the constitution empowered the states to fix their own rules regarding gambling, betting, and lotteries, very few states have scrapped this archaic law. As of now, only 3 regions in India have legalized casinos, 13 states have legalized state-sponsored lotteries, and betting is illegal in the entire country.
Thankfully, the internet era has brought in some relief from these stifling laws. In most parts of the country, there are no specific laws banning online real money games, like gambling, sports such as IPL betting, or lotteries. Today, Indians can freely access sites like fun88, betway, bet365, Lottoland, etc. to enjoy real money games.
Let’s have a look at 3 of the best sites for playing with real money.
LeoVegas
LeoVegas is one of the most well-known names in the world of online casinos. The website is hosted in Malta and holds an international gaming license from the Malta Gaming Authority.
Players can enjoy more than 2000 casino games on LeoVegas, right from table games like blackjack, poker, roulette, and baccarat, to a huge collection of slot games. Players from India will happy to know that they can even enjoy traditional Indian card games like Andar Bahar and Teen Patti.
The site has regularly won awards for its excellent features, including the `Online Casino of the Year´ and `Mobile Operator of the Year´ awards. In addition to real money games, it also allows players access free games, for those who want to get a feel of the site.
Royal Panda
Royal Panda is a brand owned by the LeoVegas group and is a reliable site for real money games. One of the biggest plus points of its excellent customer support, available 24×7 for its players. The layout of its site is simple and easy to navigate, without any unnecessary clutter.
The selection of games is huge, especially in the live casino section, where players can join one of many table games like blackjack and roulette. In addition to that, there is an exhaustive collection of real money games, be it slots, scratch cards, or jackpots.
Royal Panda has one of the most generous welcome bonuses in the industry, and new players can claim up to ₹1,00,000 on the first three deposits, along with free spins at the slots. Royal Panda also runs a loyalty program for its regular players, where they can earn points as they play along, and redeem those points at the Loyal Panda Shop.