Over the last few decades, India has really come out of its shell and is now considered an economic powerhouse. The economy has progressed at a commendable rate which has allowed quite a few industries to flourish. One such industry that has seen a revival of sorts is online gambling. Online gambling in India has always been associated with negative connotations, but over the years, punters have become more comfortable in playing at online casinos or online betting sites.
The negative image of gambling in India has mainly been down to the shady operations that exist underground. These establishments, be it online or offline, use the money they make from gambling and use it to fund other illegal activities such as terrorism. You will hear of countless outfits, such as Lord Exchange, having their doors kicked down simply because they were not licensed operations. This is especially alarming because these outfits can take the money from the punters at any given point in time and close shop. As they operate in the illegal space, there is no way for punters to pursue legal action against them.
Thankfully there is a solution, or shall we say alternatives to these exchanges, and they come in the form of offshore companies providing online gambling services to customers in India. You may have come across legitimate companies such as Betway offering the full suite of products, including casino and sports betting. Companies like Betway have been operating outside of India for decades and have become very successful in markets such as the UK, Germany and Scandinavian countries. Now when they step into India, they do so with a product that is localised and fully licensed. They have gone down the route of acquiring the license that is most difficult to attain, i.e. UKGC. This license is not only extremely expensive but also requires the operator to satisfy a whole host of conditions before it is granted.
These conditions include ensuring that a safe and secure playing environment is provided to the customers in India. They have the latest in SSL encryption technology which keeps your data safe and prevents it from falling into the wrong hands. They also ensure that they have adequate checks to combat money laundering and require all of their customers to provide KYC documents. Above all, they ensure that they are providing their services in a responsible manner and help customers should they be battling gambling addiction. This includes having time out features on customer accounts and barring customers from using their services should they encounter difficulty in playing at online casinos.
Another big change that these operators have had to make is to fully localise their products to the Indian audience. We are now fully aware of brands such as McDonald’s tweaking their menus to accommodate the Indian customers, and the online gambling sites are doing the same. This starts with providing local games such as Teen Patti and Andar Bahar. Customers are also able to make deposits and withdrawals in rupees and, more importantly, are able to use local payment methods such as UPI and Paytm.
Betting websites have made it a point to cover cricket extensively in the sports they offer to the punters. They cover major tournaments such as IPL, World Cup, Ashes, and some will even offer betting markets on local events such as the Ranji Trophy.
Customer support has also been localised so that you can now talk, email or chat with an Indian representative. Some will even offer several languages, such as Telegu and Bengali.
In summary, online gambling in India has come a long way since the days of King Exchange and Lord Exchange. We urge you to stay away from illegal sites and instead focus your attention and money on licensed sites in India.
