Gambling Laws in Punjab 2025: Be Smart, Play Smart
By Anthony
Punjab is a very special region in the northern part of India because it is crossed by 5 major rivers. It has also received a nickname due to these geographical qualities. But today we are here to talk about gambling laws in Punjab 2021 and the context in which citizens can participate in gambling or casino activities. We will take each category of games separately to see what is legal in Punjab and what is not.
Gambling Laws in Punjab in 2025
Every region in India has different legislation for the gambling industry. Since the Public Gaming Act of 1867, most gambling in this region has always been banned. However, the law is over 150 years old and has not yet been updated. This means that online gambling is 100% legal. The good news is that although Punjab citizens are not allowed to get involved in any physical gambling, the state-organized lottery is legal.
Punjab is not the only region in India where the lottery is still allowed, even if it is organized by the state. This shows us that as the years go by, it seems that drastic legislative changes will be made in Punjab and that gambling will soon be able to be normalized.
Only Physical Gambling is Illegal in Punjab
Gambling laws in Punjab were established more than 150 years ago, and since then, due to the passing of time, this law has continued to be less, and less accurate. Times have changed, technology has evolved, and Punjab citizens do not need to bet on physical casinos. Online gambling is perfectly legal. The law says absolutely nothing about online gambling, and since online gambling systems were launched globally, no citizen of Punjab has been punished for it.
However, our advice is to play from India only at online casinos that come from outside the territory. This way, you will be sure that you are not getting involved in any illegal acts. Although the law governing this whole industry has not been updated for a very long time, there is still no act or evidence to confirm that steps are being taken to amend gambling laws in Punjab. At least for now, things won’t change.
Gambling Laws in Punjab – What is Legal?
We have already established that all the games of chance that you can play in online casinos are legal. So, all the games you will find there are allowed. Bingo, Slots, Live Tables, Blackjack, Sports Betting. All are legal because they are not specified as illegal in the Public Gambling Act, 1867. There are two main cities in the Punjab region where online gambling is very popular. In these cities, the conditions for online gambling are way better.
If you want to play casino games, live tables, poker, blackjack or any other service offered by casinos, you will have to do it through an online operator.
To prove that all payments made through these online casinos are legal, we recommend that you use a payment processor such as Paytm. Chandigarh is the most important city in the Punjab Region because it is the capital of the two neighbouring states, Punjab and Haryana. The internet connection in Chandigarh is excellent and a lot of gamblers from Punjab are in this city.
Another pretty big city in this region is Jalandhar, about which we can’t say many positive things. Jalandhar has the highest rate of illegal gambling. Anyone who wants to have an adrenaline rush can go there. We do not encourage you to do this because you risk many months in prison if you are caught.
Lottery is Legal in Punjab 2025?
There are only 13 states in all of India where you can play the lottery, and Punjab is one of them. Here you will be able to participate in the lottery organized by the state and which was legalized by The Punjab Lotteries Regulation Act, 1998 and more recently by The Lotteries Regulations Rules, 2010.
Lottery tickets can be purchased quite easily from legal representatives and centres that are authorized to sell them. Most of the time, Punjab citizens buy lottery tickets from markets, post offices, Sewa Kendras or bus stations. Online lotteries are ILLEGAL from 2020.
Gambling Laws in Punjab – Horse Racing
Over time, there have been several attempts to legalize bets placed on horse racing. Currently, gambling laws in Punjab about Horse Racing are not clear. A 1958 document states that horse racing betting has been clarified for the West Pakistan area of Punjab. To avoid any unpleasant situation, bet online where we are 100% sure that everything is safe and legal.
Conclusion
Other games such as poker, Rummy, or Teen Patti are also affected by the gambling laws in Punjab. Rummy is considered a game of skill, but if you try to place financial stakes, it is not allowed. The best decision you can make is to play online and you will not be in danger.
To conclude the situation of gambling in Punjab, anyone trying to get in touch with this method of relaxation has two legal possibilities available:
September 24, 2021
