
Is Bet365 legal in India? Even as recently as early 2023, the answer was yes, but the site left the Indian market in August of that year. My research indicates it hasn’t yet reversed this decision.
It’s an interesting topic because India has vague and unclear laws surrounding the idea of online betting. Hence, some providers have decided not to make their services available across India. I’ve got details about licensing, the law, and what you need to know if you’re thinking of using Bet365 there.
There’s a real danger of me overusing the word ‘technically’ in this article. Bet365 technically hasn’t been banned in this country, but it withdrew from India in 2023, and the situation remains the same today.
It all comes down to the Information Technology Act 2000. This covers online activities, but since gambling and betting are not mentioned anywhere in the Act, online betting sites such as Bet365 are not believed to be covered by it. In reality, individual Indian states are responsible for determining whether online casinos and betting sites can legally operate there.
As you can imagine, this murkiness does create some confusion. This applies to other sites such as 1xbet in India too, not just to Bet365 India. It does answer the question of whether 4rabet is legal in India too, though, since the same legal situation regarding the Information Technology Act 2000 applies there, too.
As I’ve already explained, you won’t be able to use Bet365 if you live anywhere in India at present. While they did provide services in the country up until August 2023, they exited at that point and it doesn’t seem likely they will return. It means you won’t be able to use the Bet365 app there either.
Here’s that word ‘technically’ again. While you could do this in theory, all members of the site must verify their identity and their home address. So, even if you could access the site via a VPN that makes it look as if you are somewhere other than in India, you can’t fake your identity or address to back that up. In short, Bet365 won’t be available to you if you’re in India. Unfortunately, this means there won’t be any Bet365 bonus codes for India either.
I’ve noticed that online betting in India is big business, so why isn’t Bet365 available anymore? Some betting companies are based in India, and therefore abide by whichever laws apply in the state they are based in, and in those they offer their services in. It’s a bit different for businesses based outside of the country, and this seems to be why Bet365 betting in India is no longer available. I’ve noticed that laws relating to online betting in India are difficult to fathom and understand, even with experience of the changing rules there. In the case of Bet365, it seems that it was easier for them to exit the market rather than to try and keep track of everything happening in various states. There were too many ways they could be tripped up by the rules, especially given increases in taxes on gambling services as well.
Yes, there are several other sites that provide similar services to Bet365. Before choosing one, make sure it is legally available in your part of India. The following table provides a few aspects to think about. Be aware that the situation surrounding online gambling is active and constantly changing, as I’ve noted. Even if you sign up to use a different site, keep track of any changes that might affect you in this way.
Consideration | Explanation |
---|---|
State availability | Goa, Sikkim, and Daman are the only states at present that permit online gambling in India |
Verification | Make sure you can verify your identity and provide confirmation of your address in India |
Currency | Confirm the site you choose accepts Indian rupees |
At present, I think it’s unlikely. The Goods and Services Tax applicable to online betting went up by 10% in 2023 - coincidentally the year the site left the country - reaching 28%. This made it more costly for Bet365 to continue operating in the country. Add to that the cost of hiring experts to keep track of compliance issues, and you can see why it became untenable for the site to continue.
The complexity of online gambling laws and regulations in India doesn’t look as if it will change anytime soon either, and until it does, there’s a chance other sites like Bet365 might also be wary of providing any services there.
Since the service is no longer available in the country, any account you did have that was based there is likely to now be inaccessible.
You won’t be able to reach the site in India since it no longer caters to the Indian market.
Indian gambling laws are complicated and vary from one state to the next. No one has yet been prosecuted for gambling online in the country, but some sites have elected to withdraw from the market because of the myriad of laws and requirements currently in place.
You might be able to use a VPN to make it appear that you live in a different country, but all members of Bet365 need to provide verification to prove they are in a legal state or country. This would negate the use of a VPN.
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