The legality of Teen Patti in India
Online gambling is a pretty popular field that is only increasing with time. More and more countries are showing their willingness to make gambling tailored to customers’ needs and offer decent services to customers.
India is no exception. The country with more than 1.2 billion people has obscure rules when it comes to online gambling and casino games. They are not written clearly, hence these regulations are not specific, making it difficult to understand whether you can play Teen Patti legally or not. Let’s have a look at this subject thoroughly in the following article.
General Law
The general piece of law that rules gambling in India was enacted in 1867 under the name of the Public Gaming Act. The act was initially oriented towards 10 states but afterwards incorporated the rest of the states as well.
Gambling includes any activity that is controlled or influenced by chance or incident, and the risk of winning or losing is taken with consciousness. The definition might drive several opinions, as it is not that clear, from citizens’ perspectives. According to that, teen patti game lies in a grey area. However, another popular game, Rummy, is not punishable by the Indian government. That’s why there are a lot of question marks when we talk about online gambling in the country.
Law in Goa
Goa is considered one of the biggest and prominent states in India. According to the gambling act which was passed in 1976, Teen Patti and other casino games are allowed in Daman, Diu and Goa. Although, it is necessary for casino operators to receive permission from the state and pay additional fees.
Law in Sikkim
In Sikkim, according to legislation and rules, online Teen Patti games are prohibited. Within the geographical boundaries of Sikkim, it is not permitted for casinos to offer the following game to its customers.
Law in Nagaland
Laws in Nagaland prohibit online gambling in the country. However it is Nagaland that provides licenses with Teen Patti related games and other skill-based products as well. It is not yet clear the status of Teen Patti in the state.
Briefly About Teen Patti
Teen Patti originated in India. It is usually compared to poker. The rules of the game are simple and thus captivate not only local players but also players around the world. The game is broadcast live 24 hours a day in the majority of online casinos.
Teen Patti uses one standard 52-card deck. After the shuffle, the leader reveals one card for each of the players, until each of them has three cards. Combinations are made from these cards. Thus, the players have to guess which of the virtual players will collect the strongest combination and win. Players can place bets on the winner of the game as well as on the winning combination.
There are six winning combinations at Tin Party. Namely:
- Set;
- Straight Flash;
- Straight;
- Flash;
- Pair;
The highest card is the card of the highest rank. If both players have not collected any combination, then the winner is determined by the highest card.
Online Gambling in India
If we take a look at the laws and regulations, that we have mentioned above, it can be understood that the subject of online gambling as well as Teen Patti games, draws a lot of question marks, which can be hardly understood for foreigners. For the moment, it might seem that playing online casino games is allowed, but there are some points, which prove the opposite. As Teen Patti contains a lot of luck, and few skills, we can point out that in the majority of states playing Teen Patti is not allowed.
Certain states have made it legal to play Teen Patti online and in land-based gambling venues, but the legality is only applicable in that state. Alternatively, there are various foreign-based legal Teen Patti websites which provide easy access to Indian players.