Is Online Betting Legal in India After PROGA?
Under PROGA (Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025), all real-money online betting and gambling is banned in India as of October 1, 2025. Enforcement targets operators and platforms — not individual players. The law also faces a Supreme Court constitutional challenge that could overturn it. The full legal picture is complicated. Read on for the complete picture.
📋 Table of Contents
- What is PROGA? A Plain-English Summary
- What Exactly is Banned Under PROGA?
- What Does PROGA Mean for Individual Players?
- Can Indian Players Still Use Offshore Betting Sites?
- The Supreme Court Challenge: PROGA May Not Survive
- What Legal Experts Are Saying
- What Online Games Are Still Fully Legal in India?
- Three Possible Futures for Indian Betting
- Practical Guide: What Should Players Do Right Now?
- Frequently Asked Questions
If you’ve tried logging into your favourite betting app recently and found it blocked — or heard that Dream11, MPL, and other platforms have shut down — you’re living through one of the most dramatic regulatory shifts in India’s digital history.
On August 22, 2025, the Indian Parliament passed the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025 — universally known as PROGA. It came into effect on October 1, 2025, and has reshaped the entire online gaming landscape in India overnight.
Over 7,800 websites have been blocked. Banks stopped processing transactions. Dream11, PokerBaazi, MPL, and Zupee suspended operations. A ₹23,000-crore (approximately $2.75 billion USD) industry went into freefall.
But here’s what most people want to know: what does this actually mean for you — the player? Are YOU breaking the law by placing a bet? Can you still access offshore sites? What happens next? This guide answers all of it, clearly and honestly.
1. What is PROGA? A Plain-English Summary
PROGA — the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025 — is India’s first comprehensive national law on online gaming. Before PROGA, regulation was left to individual states, creating a patchwork of different rules. Some states allowed skill-based games; others banned all gambling. Enforcement was inconsistent.
PROGA ended that era. It is a central law with overriding effect, meaning it supersedes all conflicting state laws. And its core position is stark: all online money games are prohibited — broadly defined as any online game involving real money stakes or prizes.
Key Dates to Know
| Date | What Happened |
|---|---|
| August 19, 2025 | Cabinet approved the PROGA bill |
| August 20–21, 2025 | Bill passed in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha |
| August 22, 2025 | Presidential assent — PROGA becomes law |
| October 1, 2025 | PROGA enforcement comes into effect |
| October 12, 2025 | Draft PROGA Rules 2025 released for public consultation (approx. 2,500 responses received) |
| January 21, 2026 | Supreme Court scheduled to hear constitutional challenge — three-judge bench led by CJI Surya Kant |
| February 2026 | 7,800+ websites blocked; final PROGA Rules still pending formal notification |
2. What Exactly is Banned Under PROGA?
PROGA defines “online money games” as any online game where a player pays or stakes money with the expectation of winning money or prizes. Under this definition, the following are all prohibited:
- Sports betting — cricket, football, kabaddi, or any other sport
- Online casinos — slots, roulette, blackjack, live dealer games
- Fantasy sports platforms — Dream11, MPL Fantasy, My11Circle (all required to suspend paid contests)
- Online rummy, poker, and teen patti for real money
- Crash games — Aviator, JetX, and similar
- Online matka and number-based betting
- Any mobile app or website offering real-money wagering services
Critically, PROGA makes no distinction between games of skill and games of chance. This is one of its most controversial features — and a central argument in the Supreme Court challenge. Previously, skill-based games like rummy and fantasy sports had judicial protection. PROGA removes that protection entirely.
What is NOT Banned
- E-sports — competitive multiplayer games recognised under the National Sports Governance Act, 2025 (with NOGC registration)
- Social / casual games — games played purely for fun with no money at stake (Ludo, educational quizzes)
- Stock market / trading platforms — Zerodha, Groww, crypto exchanges (not defined as online money games)
- Physical horse racing betting — at licensed race clubs in Mumbai, Bangalore etc.
3. What Does PROGA Mean for Individual Players Like You?
This is the question millions of Indians are asking right now — and the answer has an important nuance most news coverage has missed.
Enforcement Targets Operators, Not Players
PROGA’s criminal penalties are aimed squarely at those who run, operate, promote, facilitate, or advertise real-money gaming platforms. The law does not explicitly criminalise the act of an individual placing a bet.
This is intentional regulatory design. With tens of millions of Indians who have historically participated in online betting, any attempt to prosecute players would create massive political and legal backlash. Enforcement agencies have explicitly stated they are pursuing operators, not end users.
Penalties Under PROGA (For Operators)
| Violation | Imprisonment | Fine |
|---|---|---|
| Operating a real-money gaming platform | Up to 3 years | Up to ₹1 crore |
| Repeat violation | Up to 5 years | Up to ₹2 crore |
| Advertising / promoting real-money games | Up to 3 years | Up to ₹1 crore |
| Financial facilitation (banks, payment gateways) | Civil penalties | Subject to regulatory action |
4. Can Indian Players Still Use Offshore Betting Sites?
This is the most searched question post-PROGA — and the most legally complicated to answer. Here is the reality on multiple fronts:
The Numbers: Offshore Usage Has Surged
A December 2025 CUTS International survey found that offshore platform usage among Indian bettors climbed from 68.3% before the ban to 82% after the ban — a 20% relative increase. Daily sessions exceeding two hours also jumped dramatically, from 3.4% to 42.3% of users. The ban is driving people to less regulated alternatives.
| What’s Happening | Current Status (Feb 2026) |
|---|---|
| Government blocking offshore sites | Active — 7,800+ sites blocked and counting |
| UPI / bank transactions to betting sites | Technically prohibited; enforcement inconsistent |
| Prosecuting individual players | No documented cases; enforcement targets operators |
| VPN usage to access blocked sites | Legal grey area; VPNs themselves are legal in India |
| Crypto deposits to offshore sites | Growing; largely unregulated but legally risky |
The Blocking Reality
Offshore sites are targeted with domain blocks. However, operators respond with “URL switching” — rapidly migrating to new domains when old ones are blocked. This creates a constant cat-and-mouse situation. The sites keep coming back.
The Player Prosecution Reality
As of February 2026, there are no documented cases of individual Indian players being prosecuted for using offshore betting platforms. Many legal experts argue that prosecuting end users would be constitutionally problematic. However, this could change — particularly if offshore payment flows are traced to individual accounts.
5. The Supreme Court Challenge: PROGA May Not Survive
Here is the single most important fact that most reporting has buried: PROGA is facing a serious constitutional challenge — and multiple leading legal experts believe it may not survive scrutiny.
Why the Law is Being Challenged
The Federal Problem: Under India’s Constitution, “betting and gambling” falls under Entry 34 of the State List — meaning states, not the central government, have primary authority to regulate them. Critics argue PROGA unconstitutionally strips states of that power by imposing a blanket central ban.
The Article 19 Problem: Article 19(1)(g) of the Constitution guarantees the right to practise any profession or carry on any trade or business. Courts had previously recognised skill-based games like rummy and fantasy sports as legitimate businesses. PROGA prohibits them without distinction.
The Skill vs. Chance Problem: For decades, Indian courts held that games of skill are constitutionally protected from blanket gambling bans. The Supreme Court itself ruled in K.R. Lakshmanan v. State of Tamil Nadu that skill-based activities have fundamental rights protection. PROGA ignores this distinction entirely.
What’s Happening in Court Right Now
The Supreme Court’s three-judge bench, led by Chief Justice Surya Kant, was scheduled to hear consolidated petitions on January 21, 2026. Petitioners include major gaming companies including Head Digital Works (operator of A23 Rummy), whose foreign investor Clairvest reportedly wrote off its entire ₹760-crore investment following the ban.
The case is constitutionally intertwined with the earlier “Gameskraft batch” of cases. The outcome could be transformative: a ban upheld, a ban struck down, or a mandated replacement regulatory framework.
6. What Legal Experts Are Saying
PROGA’s blanket prohibition treats all real-money games as prohibited “regardless of whether they involve skill or chance” — raising clear constitutional concerns including Article 19(1)(g) rights violations. India’s complete ban on real-money skill gaming is “unlikely to withstand constitutional scrutiny.”
Evidence from previous state-level bans shows that prohibitions “rarely eliminate demand but simply displace it towards illegal or unregulated platforms.” The offshore surge since PROGA appears to confirm this pattern precisely.
Blocking websites may be a “temporary band-aid approach at best.” A holistic approach that regulates, educates, and enforces — rather than simply prohibiting — is more likely to achieve genuine consumer protection goals.
The Indian online betting market is conservatively worth $20 billion. At that scale, the tax evasion from the offshore shift exceeds $4 billion — larger than the total revenue of all Indian real-money gaming companies combined.
7. What Online Games Are Still Fully Legal in India in 2026?
| Category | Examples | Status |
|---|---|---|
| E-Sports | BGMI, Valorant, FIFA tournaments (no money prize pools) | ✅ Legal (with NOGC registration) |
| Social / Casual Games | Ludo, Candy Crush, Carrom (no money stakes) | ✅ Legal |
| Stock Market / Trading | Zerodha, Groww, crypto exchanges | ✅ Legal (regulated separately) |
| Physical Horse Racing | Race clubs in Mumbai, Bangalore | ✅ Legal (licensed clubs) |
| Online Horse Racing (Karnataka) | Karnataka’s proposed online horse racing | ⚠️ Unclear — conflicts with PROGA |
| Online Real-Money Betting | Sports betting, casino, fantasy sports for money | ❌ Banned under PROGA |
8. Three Possible Futures for Indian Betting
🔴 Scenario 1: Ban Stays
Supreme Court upholds PROGA. Domestic industry stays shut. Offshore betting grows in the grey market. ₹23,000-crore industry’s tax revenue lost permanently to offshore platforms.
🟢 Scenario 2: Ban Struck Down
Court finds PROGA unconstitutionally encroaches on states’ rights. Power reverts to states. Skill-based platforms like rummy, fantasy sports resume quickly. Industry celebrates.
🔵 Scenario 3: Licensed Framework
Most likely outcome. Court mandates a nuanced regulatory approach — phased licensing under NOGC, consumer safeguards, responsible gaming requirements, and tax compliance built in.
9. Practical Guide: What Should Indian Players Do Right Now?
If You Want to Bet on Cricket or Sports
- Domestic licensed options: None currently available for real-money sports betting under PROGA
- Offshore sites: Accessible through VPN and mirror domains, but legally grey and financially risky
- Payment methods: UPI/bank transfers to offshore betting sites are technically prohibited; crypto is being used as an alternative but also carries regulatory risk
- Recommended approach: Wait for Supreme Court clarity before committing significant money to any offshore platform
If You Play Fantasy Sports (Dream11, MPL etc.)
- Paid fantasy contests are suspended on all major Indian platforms
- Free-to-play or social modes on some platforms may still be available
- The Supreme Court ruling is directly relevant — a favourable judgment could see paid fantasy sports resume quickly
If You Play Online Casino Games (Slots, Rummy, Poker)
- All real-money online casino games are banned under PROGA
- The offshore surge is real, but payment disruptions and site blocking make it increasingly difficult
- Social / demo versions of casino games are legal and available
If You Are a Responsible Gambler
- If gambling has been a regular habit, the PROGA disruption is an opportunity to reassess
- If you are accessing offshore sites through VPNs, be aware: offshore platforms have no consumer protections under Indian law
- iCall helpline: 9152987821 — free psychological counselling available in India
- Vandrevala Foundation 24/7 helpline: 1860-2662-345
10. Frequently Asked Questions
Conclusion: Legal Limbo, With Change Coming
India’s online betting landscape in February 2026 is best described as legal limbo. PROGA has imposed a sweeping ban, shut down a major industry, and driven millions of players to unregulated offshore platforms — achieving the opposite of its stated consumer protection goals.
The Supreme Court challenge is real and significant. Leading constitutional lawyers believe the law’s blanket approach, its failure to distinguish games of skill, and its encroachment on states’ powers make it vulnerable. A full or partial reversal is possible.
For Indian players right now: no criminal enforcement is targeting you personally. But the financial and legal risks of offshore platforms are genuine — no Indian regulatory protection applies to your funds on those sites. The wisest course is to watch the Supreme Court proceedings, stay informed, and exercise caution with any real-money activity until legal clarity emerges.
The final chapter of PROGA has not been written yet. Stay tuned.