Online Lottery in India

Online Lottery in India: Everything You Need to Know

Lottery exists since time immemorial. It is a game where you pull out random numbers with the expectation to win a prize. The earliest form of the modern-day lottery was introduced in 1967.

Various countries have various regulations when it comes to online lotteries. While a few endorse it, others are against it. Regardless of the way, there is a form of regulation related to the lottery. In case you want to know more about the lottery online, keep reading.

In previous times, the outcomes of lotteries were monitored on the TV until the introduction of the internet and smartphones. Many lottery companies are taking advantage of the internet to make it easier for customers to buy lottery ticket online.

In India, the lottery community prefers buying online lottery tickets to getting physical tickets. Online lottery tickets are preferable to physical stores supplying tickets as they are more accessible. You can get your ticket online even if it is midnight or it is raining heavily.

When you play India lottery, buying tickets over the internet is much safer than physical stores since they can’t be lost. You will always receive a receipt on the tour lottery app or mail. Moreover, it helps in saving time. Just with a few clicks, you can have your ticket without queuing up at the local lottery ticket store.

With online lottery sites, you have the option to buy tickets that aren’t localized in India alone. These are tickets that are cut across all continents and borders. This gives you the opportunity to engage in countries other than India.

Online Lottery Legality in India

The lottery has been banned in many countries. However, in India, the laws associated with the lottery are a little different. India’s Union Government doesn’t control the lottery market. It is controlled by the government of the state. This is the reason the lottery laws differ with the state you are playing it from.

As per the Supreme Court in India in 2015, every state can promote, conduct, and organize lottery activities within its borders as per its legislative powers. Also, they have the power to ban lottery activities.

A few Indian states, such as Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram, and West Bengal have legalized online lottery. But in some Indian states, taking part in lotteries organized by private companies in India is prohibited. However, when it comes to online international lotteries, there is no law to prohibit them.

The Public Gambling Act of 1867

The Public Gambling Act of 1867 governs all types of gambling activities in the country that should include all lotto betting sites in its spectrum. Nevertheless, the act isn’t applicable to the whole country at once.

As gambling is a state government problem, every state will have its own laws related to gambling. However, a majority of the states accept and follow the Public Gambling Act of 1867.

As per this Act, any type of gambling in a public gaming house is an illegal activity. Hence, a majority of the Indian states take gambling to be illegal except for a few states, such as Goa. These states write their own laws when it comes to gambling.

But the Public Gambling Act doesn’t mention online gambling. Because of this legal loophole, lotto betting or online gambling on offshore sites can’t be taken to be illegal.

So, Indians will be able to engage in online lottery freely and legally.

Lotteries Regulation Act 1998

The Central Government had created The Lotteries Regulation Act of 1998. It was mainly to create a set of rules governed by lottery, which you could draw in India. According to the Act, just the state governments can hold lotteries in their respective states.

As a matter of fact, according to the Lotteries Regulation Act 1998, someone from some other state can’t buy a ticket to the lottery, which has been organized by some other state government. Moreover, the lottery ticket can just be sold by the state government or by some state-authorized vendors. This implies you won’t be able to buy or play India lottery online.

Then how can India play lottery online? Well, it is quite simple. As the online lotteries that you are buying online, such as Powerball, are drawn outside India, it means that the Act isn’t applicable to these lotteries. This is the reason you can legally and safely buy lottery ticket online for international lotteries.

How to Play Lottery Online?

Buying a lottery ticket doesn’t guarantee you a prize. But if you want to win the prize you have to get the ticket. Other than that, you are also going to need a device that is internet enabled, such as desktop, smartphone, tablet, and laptop. Make sure that you use a private internet connection instead of public Wi-Fi.

You have to be above 18 years of age to receive the payout, in case you win a prize. Make sure you don’t ignore this rule.

If all the above criteria have been met, you will have to follow the steps given below.

Choose a lottery site and create an account.
Select a lottery from another country and it should be available to Indian players.
Choose a lottery you prefer and choose a number.
Let the draw take place and if your number is lucky, you win a prize.

When you are choosing the lottery site to play from India, you need to ensure that the site meets the below requirements,

The site has to be based outside India as they are considered to be legal. Hence, go for sites that offer international lottery tickets.
It should accept legal payment methods in India. This will ensure that your money is safe. Avoid sharing your sensitive banking details, such as PINs or CVVs on any site as this might put you at a financial risk. Go for sites that accept payment methods, such as Indian Net Banking, UPI, PhonePe, GooglePay, PayTM, MasterCard, and Visa.

Bottom Line

Now you know everything about the online lottery in India. So, you might be confident enough to start playing all by yourself. Choose a reputable and reliable lottery site and start playing.