Casinos in India

Where you can find a casino in India

Licensed casinos in India operate in three places: Goa, the union territory of Daman and Diu, and Sikkim⁸. Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore have no licensed casino floor, and the nearest full casino to Mumbai is The Deltin in Daman, about a two-hour drive from Mumbai and Surat⁹. Casino gaming is allowed only where individual states have chosen to permit it⁸.

Goa is the center of it all. It has government-licensed casinos and attracts both domestic and international visitors looking for a high-end gaming experience¹⁰. The legal footing for the Goa and Daman venues is the Goa, Daman and Diu Public Gambling Act 1976, one of only two state enactments that allow casinos, and it permits them only inside five-star hotels or offshore, with prior government approval¹¹. Sikkim runs its own small casino scene in hotel resorts near Gangtok. For the wider picture of what else you can legally bet on in the country, see gambling in India.

Goa: the floating casinos on the Mandovi

Goa has an estimated 10 casinos, of which four are land-based and the other six are offshore floating casinos¹. The offshore vessels are moored on the Mandovi River beside the state capital, Panaji, and they are the image most people have of gambling in Goa: multi-deck gaming ships lit up at night, reached by short feeder boat rides from the jetties. Delta Corp, India's only listed gaming and hospitality company, holds three of the six offshore gaming licenses and also operates a land-based casino in the state¹².

The land-based venues sit inside five-star hotels, among them Deltin Suites at Nerul, the Neo Majestic at Porvorim, the Grand Hyatt at Bambolim and The 'O' Hotel at Candolim¹³. One date to know if you are planning a trip: the Goa government orders all casinos in the state to close for 24 hours every October 2, Gandhi Jayanti, as a mark of respect to the Father of the Nation¹⁴. Alcohol service is also prohibited on that day and other government-designated dry days¹⁶.

We cover the whole scene in detail on our Goa casinos page.

Sikkim: hotel casinos in the hills

Sikkim, in the northeast of the country, allows land-based casinos inside its hotels, the best known being the Deltin Denzong at a resort outside Gangtok¹⁷. The state also made history in Indian gambling: its licensed PlayWin site was the first online gambling operation officially licensed to offer games to Indian players¹⁸.

One rule sets Sikkim apart: the state government banned the entry of local residents to the casinos by notification in July 2016, so the gaming floors are for visitors from outside Sikkim only⁵. If you are a tourist in the state, that does not affect you, but it is the reason the venues market themselves to travelers. More detail is on our Sikkim casinos page.

Deltin casinos: Royale, Jaqk and the Delta Corp fleet

The Deltin brand, owned by Delta Corp Limited, runs the biggest fleet in the country⁶. Its flagship, Deltin Royale, is billed as Asia's largest offshore casino: over 50,000 square feet of gaming space with more than 970 gaming positions, open 24/7⁶. It is stationed on the Mandovi and does not sail; guests board feeder boats from the Panjim Jetty main entry or the Reis Magos Jetty alternate entry²⁰. Onboard you get the Vegas Restaurant and Sky Bar, a live entertainment counter from 7:00 PM, a buffet from 8:30 PM, and the largest dedicated poker room in Goa⁹. Daytime gaming runs 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM with daily lucky draws offering prizes worth 1 lakh in non-negotiable play coupons¹⁹.

Deltin JAQK, India's signature casino since 2008, is the smaller sister vessel on the same river, with over 430 gaming positions, tableside massage services, a smoking room and a dedicated cashier's desk⁹. Both ships offer Texas Hold'em cash tables with blinds ranging from 100/200 to 1000/2000²¹.

On land, Deltin Suites Casino is Deltin's first onshore casino, inside the five-star Deltin Suites Hotel on the Nerul-Candolim Road, five minutes from Candolim beach and close to the VIP jetty of Deltin Royale²². It has over 60 gaming positions and offers roulette, blackjack, Maang Patta and more²². The same Delta Corp family includes The Deltin in Daman, a five-star property with its own casino, and the Deltin Denzong in Sikkim¹⁷.

Big Daddy and the Golden Globe venues

Big Daddy Casino is the loudest name on the river: its operator calls it the largest floating casino in Asia, with three levels of gaming, more than 1,100 gaming positions and over 15 games, open 24x7⁷. Level 1 is general gaming with all games, Level 2 has Teen Patti, a poker room and high-stakes tables, and Level 3 is Daddy's Club, an exclusive member zone with private gaming⁷. The ship carries a multi-cuisine buffet, live music, DJ nights and dance entertainment, with shows typically starting at 8:30 PM and running until 1:00 AM²³. It has hosted celebrity visitors, including the poker enthusiast Dan Bilzerian²³.

The Golden Globe group's own vessel, the M.V. San Domino, is another of the six offshore license holders¹³. The wider Golden Globe and Big Daddy family also runs onshore casinos in Goa's hotels, including the venue at the Neo Majestic in Porvorim, the Grand Hyatt at Bambolim and The 'O' Hotel at Candolim, whose licensees appear on the state's official register¹³. We cover those venues on the Golden Globe Hotels page.

Majestic Pride and other Mandovi river casinos

Majestic Pride Casino is a luxury offshore vessel set on the Mandovi in Panaji, boarding from the Majestic Pride Jetty near the District and Sessions Court²⁴. It offers a curated selection of Indian and international table games, unlimited buffet dining with a variety of cuisines, and a wide selection of beverages²⁴. Its sister venue, Majestic Paradise, is an in-house casino inside the Neo Majestic Hotel at Porvorim, overlooking the river²⁴. Entry to the Majestic Pride casinos is only permitted with a confirmed booking made through the jetty counter, the website or the call center¹⁶.

The games on the floor

The game mix across Indian casinos blends international tables with Indian favorites. Expect roulette, blackjack, baccarat and poker at most of the bigger venues in Goa, alongside Teen Patti, the Indian version of three-card poker²⁵. Deltin Royale runs the widest spread: Texas Hold'em poker, roulette, Indian Flush (Teen Patti), baccarat, blackjack, Casino War, 7 up 7 down, 3 Card Poker, 5 Card Poker, Mini Flush, Andar Bahar, Money Wheel, Texas House Poker, Sic Bo and Dragon Tiger⁶. Majestic Pride adds Casino War, Mini Flush, Paplu and progressive jackpot slot machines²⁴, and Big Daddy runs roulette, Andar Bahar, slots, Teen Patti, poker and blackjack¹⁰.

If you are new, the simple games are the easiest place to start: roulette, Andar Bahar and the slot machines need no strategy, and staff and dealers usually guide first-timers through the basics¹⁰. Most venues welcome newcomers, and staff are on hand to explain the rules²⁵. For the games themselves, see our pages on casino games in India, Andar Bahar and Teen Patti.

Who can play

The gaming floors at Deltin, Big Daddy and Majestic Pride are restricted to guests aged 21 and above with valid government photo ID⁴. Alcohol is served only to guests aged 21 and above²⁶. There is some flexibility for families: at Majestic Pride, guests under 21 may enter the restaurant and non-gaming areas if accompanied by a parent or guardian¹⁶, children aged 12 and above are allowed in the Skybar at Deltin Royale and Deltin Jaqk¹⁹, and Big Daddy runs a supervised kids' section and a Youth Package for visitors aged 18 to 21⁷.

Foreign visitors are welcome and need their original passport, plus their Indian visa on request⁴. The one group barred outright is local residents of Sikkim, who cannot enter that state's casinos⁵. Playing at licensed venues is what keeps you on the right side of the law; unlicensed gambling elsewhere carries real risk⁸.

Entry, dress code and what to bring

The dress code is the same almost everywhere: formal or smart casual for men, with shorts, sleeveless T-shirts, flip-flops, track pants and chappals not permitted; women can choose any appropriate evening wear⁴. Big Daddy adds hats and sunglasses to the banned list⁷.

Bring an original, valid government photo ID; it is checked for age and identity at the door²⁵. Leave the big bags behind: backpacks, laptop bags and larger bags are prohibited at the gaming area, and laptops, camcorders and DSLR cameras are not permitted on the gaming floors¹⁶. Photography and videography are strictly prohibited on the gaming floors, and smoking and vaping are banned onboard the vessels, feeder boats, jetties and gaming areas, allowed only in designated smoking spaces¹⁶. At Deltin Royale, drinks and light munchies are served at the gaming tables rather than by direct bar orders⁶.

What a visit costs

Entry works on packages rather than a flat door fee, and the package usually bundles entry, buffet food, beverages, live entertainment and some playing coupons²⁵. The headline prices:

At Deltin, each package comes with a One-Time Playing Coupon worth ₹1,000 or ₹2,000 depending on the package, handed over at check-in and usable once on selected games¹⁹. Deltin Suites adds a deal where you pay ₹500 extra and receive non-negotiable playing coupons worth ₹1,000¹⁹. Final pricing at Big Daddy depends on the package, the date, availability and any special events, so expect weekend and holiday rates to sit above the starting figures³.

Payments and booking

You cannot just walk up and board. Each operator runs bookings its own way:

• Deltin admits guests only with a prior confirmed booking made through the Deltin website or call center²⁷
• Majestic Pride requires a confirmed booking through its jetty counter, website or call center¹⁶
• Big Daddy takes bookings through its official online booking platform, with confirmation by email or SMS²⁸

Book ahead for winter, weekends, Christmas, New Year and peak travel dates²⁹.

For payment, the casinos accept credit cards, debit cards, net banking, payment wallets and UPI²⁷. Three catches matter: international cards are not accepted for buying casino chips¹⁶, cards must bear the cardholder's own name and be supported by original government ID (joint account and company cards are refused)²⁶, and bookings of ₹2,00,000 or more require a copy of your PAN card¹⁶. Refunds to credit or debit cards take up to 15 business days²⁶, and website and call-center bookings are generally non-refundable, with no date changes allowed within 24 hours of your visit¹⁶. Deltin's helpline is +91 98196 98196 and info@deltin.com²⁶.

What about online casinos?

Online money games are prohibited in India under the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act 2025, while online social games and e-sports are allowed and will be regulated³⁰. None of the big land-based operators fill the gap: both Big Daddy and Majestic Pride state plainly that they do not operate, promote or run any online gaming app or platform⁷, and Big Daddy warns it is not liable for payments or losses on fraudulent websites claiming to represent it⁷.

The one licensed chapter of online history was Sikkim's PlayWin, the first online gambling site to officially obtain a license to offer its content to Indian players¹⁸. For the current state of play, see our page on online gambling in India.