Games of chance have a long history in India. Dice gambling appears in ancient Sanskrit literature, most famously in the Mahabharata, and card games such as Teen Patti are a familiar part of family gatherings and festivals.
The legal picture today is much more complicated than the history. Gambling is regulated mainly at the state level, and licensed land-based casinos exist only in Goa, Sikkim, and Daman and Diu. In August 2025, Parliament passed the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, which prohibits online money games, meaning games played for stakes, whether they depend on chance, skill or both.
What the 2025 online gaming law does
The Act bans offering, advertising or facilitating online money games, and it applies to services run from outside India if they can be accessed there. Reported penalties are up to three years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to ₹1 crore for offering such games, and up to two years and ₹50 lakh for advertising them. Coverage of the legislation says it targets operators, advertisers and payment providers rather than individual players, and the government has described its aim as curbing addiction and financial fraud.
Some commentators argue the ban may push users toward unregulated offshore sites, which offer none of the consumer protections that a licensed market would. This article is general information, not legal advice. Anyone unsure where they stand should check current rules and speak to a qualified lawyer.
The games Indian players know best
Teen Patti. Its name means “three cards,” and the game is played with a standard 52-card deck. It is commonly said to descend from the British game Three Card Brag and is often compared with three-card poker. A guide to Teen Patti covers the rules and hand rankings. Played with friends and family for no stakes, it remains a social tradition; real-money online versions fall under the 2025 ban.
Andar Bahar. A single card is turned face up, and players bet on whether a card of matching rank will appear first on the Andar (inside) or Bahar (outside) side. The rules take a minute to learn and rounds are quick. Its origins are usually placed in southern India, though accounts differ.
Roulette. The wheel game developed in 18th-century France, and it is a fixture of the table-game floors at Goa’s casinos, where the spinning wheel and bouncing ball give the game its social, spectator appeal.
Slots. Slot machines need no strategy and almost no explanation, which is why they are the easiest casino game to pick up. Themes, sound and animation do most of the work. Regulated markets elsewhere show what oversight of the format looks like. In the US, where online casino games are legal only in a handful of states, operators such as DraftKings Casino organize their libraries by category, including slots, table games and live dealer, and restrict play to verified adults aged 21 and over who are physically located in a licensed state. DraftKings Casino is not available in India.
Where casinos operate
Goa is the best-known destination. Industry reporting in mid-2026 put the state’s total at 13 casinos, seven onshore and six offshore on the Mandovi River near Panaji. The floating casinos remain controversial locally, and the state has said it does not plan to license more of them. Sikkim has a small number of casinos, and Daman has an onshore venue.
Mumbai, Kolkata, Bengaluru and Chennai have no licensed casinos. For most Indians, the casino games on this list are something they meet on holiday in Goa, in a card game at home, or not at all.
Gambling and risk
Casino games are designed so the house keeps an edge over time, and no strategy or “hot streak” changes that. Set a budget you can afford to lose before you play, stay within the law where you live, and seek support from a local health or addiction service if gambling is causing harm.