Is 1xBet Legal in India? An Expert Take on 1xBet's Legal Status and Ban

Let's get straight to the point.

1xBet is neither legal nor illegal in India, and like any other offshore betting site accepting Indian users, this bookie operates in a grey area.

Currently, there isn’t a central law that bans 1xBet and similar apps from operating in India, nor are there specific regulations that allow these sites and apps to operate without restrictions.

The law governing betting sites with offshore gaming licenses is fragmented across states, with a few states putting in place laws to prohibit them from operating and the rest not taking any proactive or stringent measures to ban them.

As a result, this has created a perfect grey zone for a bookie like 1xBet to set up shop and offer its services in India.

This is another key point of discussion that comes up when looking at 1xBet's legality in India.

It's still unclear whether 1xBet is still banned in India because you can access its sportsbook from anywhere in the country. Besides, there are reports of 1xBet promotional ads shown on ATM machines, Uber cars, metro stations in many parts of the country and what not.

And this begs the question- is 1xBet banned in India?

There is not much clarity around whether or not the 1xBet betting app is banned in India.

Concerns about 1xBet's ban in India surfaced especially after the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology took action against offshore gambling operations in 2023.

This crackdown resulted in the banning of about 170 websites associated with online betting and gambling, including well-known names like 1xBet and Parimatch.

A number of legal experts in India, particularly those focused on the gaming sector, remarked on how important it was to set a precedent, but, at the same time, they also expressed concerns about the uncertainty surrounding the government's ability to take legal action against offshore betting apps such as 1xBet.

Since these apps are operated from offshore locations, they don't fall under Indian law. This means that while the government can definitely impose a ban on these operators, classifying them as illegal is a little more complicated and would require changes to the current federal law.

1xBet is generally safe to use in India. That being said, there have been a few instances where users have expressed concerns over the delay in withdrawals, processing their KYC documents among other things.

When you join 1xBet or any other betting site or app, there are a few important things you might want to keep in mind:

• Consider whether you might be crossing any legal lines, whether it's a federal law or a state law that applies to your area.


• Think about the underlying risks involved in sharing your personal, sensitive data. These betting platforms require you to comply with their KYC process, which involves sharing documents such as Aadhaar and others. Ascertain whether they have sophisticated data security and encryption protocols in place to keep your information safe and secure.


• Exercise caution when making deposits or withdrawing your winnings. Recently, a number of Indian banks have temporarily held transactions upon discovering they are related to gambling. This can lead to unexpected delays, whether you're waiting for your winnings to arrive or for your deposits to process.