Gambling in India has a diverse and long history. It went through many stages, as well as regulations, legislation, and a lot of public opinions throughout the millennia. Gambling was mentioned in Hindu Mythology in texts that some historians had dated back to 2000BC. It began with nuts used as dice and evolved all the way up to today, where we can play online, directly on our phones. Games of chance have always been an attraction to people and India is a country that is still fond of casinos and gambling, in every form of the various choices. That being said, nowadays a lot of casinos had appeared and it can be somewhat hard to choose from all the options available to you. But finding an online casino that suits your needs seems like nothing compared to what went on during the years prior to the age of the internet.
Gambling in Ancient India
Along with China and Rome, Ancient India was one of the main focus areas of gambling. There are two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India: the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. The first one describes gambling with dice and gambling boards (believed to be an ancient form of chess) referred to as Aksa. The attitude regarding gambling is casual in the Ramayana, neither condemned nor forbidden. This attitude shifts when it comes to the Mahabharata. In this story, king Yudhishthira lost his wealth and kingdom in a dice game against Shakuni. He lost it all and even bet his brothers, his wife, and himself into servitude. According to many legends, the successor to the Royal Throne was chosen by rolling the dice.
As early as 300BC, some Buddhist texts mention Indians playing with the nuts of the vibhitaka tree as dice. The game Passa was introduced and the dice were replaced by astragali. With time, they developed a passion for betting on animals. It started with cockfights and evolved to horse racing later on.
The game of craps was often spiritualized and viewed as an object derived from divine principle. It is believed that the people of Ancient India were the ones to spread the game throughout the world.
European Influence
By the time Europeans came to India, some gambling houses were already in place and legislations were in order since the 15th century Even a gambling tax was present, players submitting their dues to the king. This was the beginning of gambling taxes around the world. Cricket was introduced in the 18th century by the British and by the end of that century it was one of the betting sports of choice in India. Gambling grew and spread wide and fast, almost out of control, so in 1867 the Public Gambling Act was introduced. This regulated that operating a gambling house was illegal. Since then, there have been some alterations and advancements. For example, the game of Paplu (Rummy) was declared legal.
Gambling and Casinos Today
The Indian government applied high restrictions at the beginning of the 20th century. Their view was that gambling was something people would get addicted to, losing logic and finally bet more than they can afford. The authorities took away the right to gamble, but that didn’t stop Indians to do so. After all, it isn’t easy to erase something with such a large history. Horse racing, Paplu, and lottery are considered legal. Excepting those, other games are played in black-market casinos. It is approximated that the value of the black market goes up to $60 billion per year.
While classic casinos and gambling now have a mostly underground life, with the advancements in technology, many people turn their attention to Online Casinos. A report shows that almost 40% of internet users spent some time gambling online, mostly for fun, not with the intention of making a profit. Many online casinos now from an international background that are legal in their home country now accept Indian Rupees as a payment currency.
Around the globe, online casinos have become more and more inventive with their offers. Different types of bonuses are offered, such as a sign-in bonus, no deposit bonus, and even free plays or free spins. This allows gamblers to play more and have greater chances of winning. Also, with the money they get from a bonus, players can try out new games and learn the rules before committing their own money to it.
When it comes to the law, each of India’s 29 states and 7 Union territories has the authority to decide to legalize gambling or not. Even if the economic benefits would be significant, there still is a negative view in most of the states. Right now, Goa is the most casino-friendly state, followed by Maharashtra and Sikkim who have some room for such establishments. But as Indian people always learned to get by, they found a way to bypass the law: building gambling houses on the passenger boats.
Conclusion
Right now, playing online is the most accessible way to enjoy casino games. But playing safely and understanding the signs of addiction are the foundation or responsibility when it comes to gambling. Maybe with time, the Indian Government will review the 1867 Public Gambling Act or more individual states will see the benefits of legalizing casinos. After all, the magnitude of the black market casinos shows that people like to gamble. It would be best for all to play safely and in regulated locations, while the state economy is busted by the taxes that come along with it. Some would call it a win-win situation, but only time will tell.
