India Bans Over 100 Online Casino Apps
In February 2023, the Indian government blocked access to an array of mobile apps. Included on the list of the 144 banned apps were over 100 from online casinos and sports betting companies including some purporting to be well-known names such as Betway, Ladbrokes, Betfair, and William Hill.
The Reason for the App Ban
Indian online casino players should not be too worried. The apps which were banned all originated from China and were available to install, not usually from the App Store or from Google, but from unknown sources. The ban was enacted to protect Indian consumers.
Along with the gambling apps on the list, there were a large amount of micro-lending apps which had been preying on Indian consumers with some charging over 3,000% interest on small loans.
It is likely that the brands included in the takedown were not the official online casino apps but rather mimicked apps from the best online casino sites in India. It is important that players only download apps from trusted sources – from the casino website itself, or from Google or Apple.
India Regularly Bans Chinese Apps
It is not unusual for the Indian Government to issue lists of banned apps originating or having a connection with China. Oftentimes they request App stores to take down content from developers citing national security reasons. The order generally comes from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
The types of content removed are wide-ranging – from video apps such as TikTok to chess apps such as Onmyoji Chess to online casinos. The latest raft of removals was mainly aimed at payday loan apps. While to some it appears to be taking a sledgehammer to crack a nut, it does help protect consumers from unscrupulous developers based in China.
List of Banned Gambling Apps
Here is the latest list of the online casino sites that had their apps banned in India. There may be other apps that have been removed in the past – these are just the sites that were made inaccessible from February 2023.
- 1xBet: sports betting
- 20Bet
- 22Bet: Live Sports Betting
- 3 Lucky Casino
- 3patti Guide
- 4rabet App
- 888STRAZ
- AndarBahar Poker
- Anubis Treasure
- Avia Pilot
- Babu88
- Bambet
- Best Bet Casino™ Slot Games
- Bet Analytix
- Bet O Bet-Live Sports Betting
- Bet On Sports
- Bet Winner-Popular online game
- Betfair Live Line
- Betindi
- Betkwiff
- betM – Sports Betting Tool
- BetMines Betting Predictions
- BetNetix: Football Betting
- Betobet
- BetQL – Sports Betting Data
- Betstamp – Sports Betting Hub
- Betting Tips
- Betting United: Betting Tips
- BettingPros: Sports Betting
- BETUP – Sports Betting Game
- BetVictor Bet
- Betvisa
- Betway – Live Sports Betting
- BetWiser – Best Betting Odd
- Big Winner – Lucky Wheel
- Bingo Crown – Fun Bingo Games
- Blackjack Live
- Block Online Gambling – Gamban
- Bons
- Cashman Casino Las Vegas Slots
- Casino Real Money: Win Cash
- Casumo Casino
- Casumo Online Games: Extended
- Casumo Slots
- Come On
- Crash Rocket Gambling
- CRICKET ΒΕΤЅ | All Cricket Βеt
- Cricket: Sports Betting
- DAFABET – 2022
- Divine Fortune 2
- DoubleU Casino™ – Vegas Slots
- Enchanted Island
- Europa Casino
- Football Betting Tips & Odds
- Fun88
- Genesis Casino
- Golden Slots
- Grand Mondial
- Grand Mondial Casino
- Happy 3Patti
- INDIBET
- Jackpot City Casino
- ladbrokes odds&tips
- Lagai Khai Pro
- Lagai Khai Pro – Betting Game
- Live Baccarat
- Live Bet Zlive
- Live Blackjack (Blackjack 21: Live Casino game)
- London Betting Tips
- Lottabet
- Lotus 365
- Lucky slots -casino VIP
- Lucky Star Slots-Vegas Casino
- Ludo Vungo
- Match Book App
- Megapari
- MELBET
- MostBet
- myVEGAS Bingo – Bingo Games
- NEO.Bet App
- Onside Sports: Scores, Live Od
- OPPA 888
- Papel Betting Tips
- Parimatch: Live Sports Betting
- PariPesa App
- Pikkit: Sports Bet Tracker
- Play To Win: Win Real Money
- PokerStars: Texas Holdem Games
- Pure Win
- RABONA
- Record Trade
- Rich Club
- Roulette Online
- Royal Panda
- Royal Vegas
- Rummy
- Satta King: Satta Matka Result
- SattaMatka Fix Game
- Scores And Odds Sports Betting
- Shangrila
- SI – Betting tips
- Silver Luck
- Slots Machines – Vegas Casino
- Spin Casino
- Spin casino: Slot machines
- Spin for Cash!-Real Money Slot
- Sports Betting for Real
- Sports Betting Game – BETUP
- Sports Betting Picks & Tip App
- Sports Betting™ the Sportsbook
- Super Slot – Win Cash
- SuperDraft Sportsbook – Prizes
- Teen Patti Bhoomi: Patti Poker
- Teen Patti Dhamal
- Teen Patti Guide
- Teen Patti Kash
- Teen Patti Lucky Gold
- Teen Patti Romio
- TipsterMan – Betting Tips
- Tivit Bet App
- Trueflip
- Vegas Royal
- VegasInsider Sports Betting
- Videoslots Fun
- Virtual Sports Betting Predict
- WagerLab Bet on Sports & Props
- Wheel of Fortune
- William Hill App
- Win2Win
- Zet Casino
- Zodiac Casino
Indian Gambling Laws
Part of the problem with online gambling in India is there is no national online gambling regulation. All online casino sites in India are subject to the Public Gambling Act of 1867, which prohibits all forms of gambling. However, the act is outdated and does not account for the digital age.
As a result, the regulation of online gambling falls under the jurisdiction of each individual state, with some states such as Goa and Sikkim allowing online gambling under certain conditions.
While online gambling is not technically illegal on a federal level, it is up to each state to decide whether to legalize it. As such, online gambling laws can vary from state to state, with some allowing it with strict regulations while others have a complete ban on all forms of online gambling. It is important to research the specific laws and regulations of your state before engaging in any online gambling activities.
Frequently Asked Questions
Hopefully, this blog post about the banning of apps from online casinos has proved informative. Drop down into our FAQ for answers to some queries on this topic with links back to the most important content. For more topics check out our regularly updated online casino blog.
Have all apps from online casinos in India been banned?
No. The online casino sites on our list have been banned but not all casino apps are unavailable. We recommend you only download apps from trusted sources and remember online casino sites in India are purely for entertainment and not a means of earning money.
Why does the Indian Government ban so many Chinses apps?
It is for national security reasons as well as protecting consumers. Many citizens download these apps unaware they are linked to the Chinese government and possibly harvests sensitive private data for nefarious means.
