Gambling in India for Tourists

Where visitors can gamble in India

If you are visiting India and want to play at a casino, your realistic destinations are Goa, on the west coast, and Sikkim, in the Himalayan northeast. Casino gaming is legal in those two states under regulated frameworks, and Goa in particular has become the central hub of India's casino industry, attracting both domestic and international visitors¹.

The reason the map is so sparse is that India has a federal gambling ban dating from 1867, but each state is given the power to decide whether that ban applies across its own territory⁶. Most states kept it. Goa and Sikkim did not, and the Union Territory of Daman also permits casinos⁷. Beyond the casinos, the only other widely cited legal betting activities in India are horse racing at the track and the state-run lotteries that some states operate².

A few other states have moved toward regulated gaming and betting businesses, including Nagaland, and Meghalaya has announced plans to bet on casinos for tourists, with rules that would allow only tourists and visitors to participate, after showing valid proof that they are travelers from other states or countries⁹. For a visitor today, though, Goa and Sikkim are where the actual casinos are.

For the wider picture of what is legal across the country, including lotteries, racing and online options, see gambling in India.

Goa's casinos: four on land, six offshore

Goa has about 10 licensed casinos: four land-based and six offshore or floating casinos². The land-based ones sit inside five star hotels, because that is where the law allows them. The offshore ones are vessels anchored in the Mandovi River, within sight of Panaji, the state capital, and they are the reason Goa's casino scene looks like nowhere else in India.

The split matters for what you can play. Live gaming with dealers, where the stakes can go really high, is permitted only on the floating casinos; the onshore venues are more limited in what they can offer¹¹. So if you want the full table-game experience, you head for the river.

The offshore fleet is dominated by two companies. Delta Corp holds three of the six offshore gaming licenses issued in Goa and also operates a land-based casino in the state¹⁰. Its vessels include the M.V. Horseshoe, listed in the state's official register of onshore and offshore casinos¹². The other big name is the Big Daddy group, whose flagship vessel is the most prominent object on the river.

On the hotel side, Deltin Suites Casino in Panaji is Deltin's first onshore casino, at the luxurious Deltin Suites Hotel, offering popular card and table games like Roulette, Blackjack, Maang Patta and more¹³. The onshore venues are smaller and quieter than the boats, which suits some visitors fine.

For a full rundown of the individual venues, see Goa casinos.

The biggest casinos in Goa

Two vessels compete for the title of biggest, and both claim it.

Big Daddy Casino operates on a luxury offshore vessel docked on the Mandovi River, and its operator calls it India's largest offshore casino and the largest floating casino in all of Asia¹⁴. It is a large, multi-level ship: the operator says it is the only offshore casino to provide live entertainment on all the gaming floors, and it claims the distinction of being the highest-rated gaming destination in Goa on TripAdvisor¹⁶.

Deltin Royale, the Delta Corp flagship, is marketed as Asia's largest offshore casino too¹⁸. In practice, both are huge, glitzy, multi-deck operations with dozens of tables, restaurants and bars, and either will feel like a proper international casino. The rivalry between them, anchored a few hundred meters apart on the same river, is one of the more entertaining features of Goa's casino scene.

If you want the details on getting aboard, entry rules and packages, see Big Daddy Casino and Deltin Royale.

Games on the floor

At most of the bigger venues in Goa you can expect to find Roulette, Blackjack, Baccarat, Poker and Teen Patti³. That is the core spread, and it is what most visitors come for.

The largest vessels go well beyond it. Deltin Royale lists 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 Tiger¹⁸. Big Daddy's floor includes Roulette, Andar Bahar, slot machines, Teen Patti, Poker and Blackjack, and its VIP section adds exclusive high-stakes tables for Poker, Baccarat, Blackjack and Teen Patti¹⁷.

A few of those names may be unfamiliar if you have only played in Western casinos:

The international classics need no introduction: Roulette, Blackjack, Baccarat and Texas Hold'Em are dealt to standard rules, and the stakes at the floating casinos can go high¹¹. If you are new to casinos generally, the standard advice from the operators themselves is to start with the simple games, like Roulette, Andar Bahar or the slot machines, before sitting down at the card tables¹⁷.

For more on each game, see casino games in India.

Sikkim's two casinos

Sikkim, in the northeast, is India's other casino state. It took a different path from Goa: rather than floating vessels, its casinos are land-based, attached to hotels in and around Gangtok. The best known is Deltin Denzong, a Delta Corp property, which markets itself alongside the group's Goa operations²⁰.

Sikkim was also the first Indian state to try regulating online gaming, passing the Sikkim Online Gaming (Regulation) Act in 2008, which allowed online casino games and sports betting through a licensing framework²¹. That experiment did not spread to other states, but it marked Sikkim out as the most liberal jurisdiction in the country alongside Goa.

The casinos in Sikkim are much smaller than the Goa boats, and the scene is quieter, but the setting is dramatic: you are in the Himalayas, not on a tropical river. If your India trip takes you to Darjeeling or Gangtok rather than the beaches, Sikkim is where you would play. See Sikkim casinos for the venues.

Who can enter

The entry rules differ by state, and in one case they are the opposite of what you might expect.

In Goa, casinos are open to everyone who meets the age requirement: Indian tourists from other states, foreign visitors and expat residents all play side by side. The Goa Home Ministry's notification prohibits entry for persons under 21, and that applies not only to the offshore casinos but also to the onshore casinos in five star hotels⁵. Historically there were stricter rules, including a complete ban on local Goans entering offshore casinos on the Mandovi, but the current regime is the under-21 rule⁵.

In Sikkim, it is the reverse: the state government banned the entry of locals to casinos by notification in 2016, so residents of Sikkim cannot walk in⁴. The casinos there exist for visitors, which as a tourist or expat from elsewhere is exactly who they are built for. You will need ID showing you are from outside the state.

Meghalaya's planned gaming counters would follow the Sikkim model: only tourists and visitors may participate, after providing valid proof of being travelers from other states or countries⁹.

For foreign visitors, the practical point is simple: carry your passport. Every casino checks ID at the door, and a foreign passport is the one document that answers every question.

Money, payments and ID

Inside the licensed casinos in Goa and Sikkim, the entire gamut of payment mechanisms is available, subject to proper KYC verification²². In practice that means you can buy in with cash, Indian rupees, and cards are accepted at the bigger venues. KYC means the casino checks who you are, so bring your passport or, for Indian nationals, Aadhaar or another government ID.

A few practical notes:

• Currency. Everything is in Indian rupees. Change money before you board, as the boats are not banks.
• Chips. You buy chips at the cashier's desk on board and cash them back out before you leave. Do not walk off the vessel with chips.
• Age and ID checks. The under-21 rule in Goa is enforced at the gangway, and Sikkim casinos check that you are not a local resident⁴.
• Budget. The operators' own advice is to set a spending limit before you arrive and treat any money spent as entertainment expenditure rather than an expected return²³.

For the tax side, winnings in India can attract tax, which is covered in detail on tax on gambling winnings in India.

What to expect on the day in Goa

A night at a Goa offshore casino is an evening out as much as a gambling trip. Here is the shape of it.

You arrive at the jetty on the Mandovi River in Panaji, usually in the early evening, and take a short boat transfer to the vessel. Entry works on packages: you pay one price at the door, which typically includes a certain amount of playing credit, food and soft drinks. Unlimited gourmet food and classic beverages are served on every level of Big Daddy, along with a buffet setup²⁴. The bigger venues stay open around the clock, so you can also go in the afternoon when it is quieter¹⁵.

On board, the floors are arranged by game and stakes, with the VIP sections on the upper decks holding the high-stakes tables for Poker, Baccarat, Blackjack and Teen Patti¹⁹. Casino entertainment in Goa has expanded beyond the gaming tables to include live music, dance performances, themed events and nightlife, and Big Daddy says it is the only offshore casino with live entertainment on all its gaming floors²⁵. Dress is smart casual; you do not need a jacket, but beachwear will not get you up the gangway.

The atmosphere is lively and mixed: Indian tourists on holiday, bachelor and bachelorette parties, foreign visitors, and regulars at the card tables. The dealers speak English and Hindi, and the Indian games like Teen Patti and Andar Bahar draw the biggest, loudest crowds.

If it is your first casino anywhere, start with the simplest games, set your limit before you board, and treat the whole thing as a night out with a chance of winning, not the other way round¹⁷.

What visitors cannot do

A few things are off the table, wherever you are in India.

Cricket betting is banned even in the permissive states: Goa, Sikkim and Nagaland permit some betting activities, but cricket betting remains prohibited²⁶. Given how central cricket is to Indian life, this surprises many visitors, but it is firm. For the legal position on sports wagering, see sports betting in India.

Casinos can only operate where the state allows them. In Goa, that means five star hotels or offshore vessels, and only with prior government approval; the gaming must happen in a designated licensed area fully separate from the main building or the other parts of the ship, with controlled entry⁵. You will not find a casino on a Goa street corner or in an ordinary hotel.

Outside Goa, Sikkim and Daman, there are no licensed casinos to walk into. Several major states, including Assam, Gujarat, Odisha, Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra, have laws that ban gambling in general, extending to online platforms²⁷. As a visitor, the practical risk of playing anywhere unlicensed is that the venue is illegal and you have no recourse if something goes wrong.

And one quirk worth repeating because it is genuinely unusual: if you live in Sikkim, you cannot enter the casinos there⁴. Visitors can; residents cannot.

Other places you may hear about

Daman. The Union Territory of Daman, on the coast between Mumbai and Gujarat, is sometimes listed alongside Goa and Sikkim as a place where casinos are allowed⁷. In practice it has never developed a scene to compare with Goa's, but it is legal territory.

Meghalaya. The state has announced plans to bet big on casinos for tourists, with rules that would allow only tourists and visitors to participate⁹. Watch this space if you are heading to Shillong.

Online casinos. Goa allows licensed physical and limited online casino operations under its 1976 Act, and Sikkim built a licensing framework for online gaming in 2008²⁷. But the online space operates in a regulatory vacuum, thriving in the space between skill and chance, and betting from outside Sikkim with Sikkim-licensed operators was understood to be illegal elsewhere in India²⁷. If you are considering playing online, read online gambling in India first, and be aware that many states ban it outright²⁷.

Cruise casinos. International cruise liners calling at Indian ports sometimes run casinos on board, open only while in international waters and only to passengers on the manifest. That is a separate regime from India's domestic casinos.

A little background

India's relationship with gambling is old and complicated. The federal Public Gambling Act of 1867 banned gambling across British India, and that law still casts a shadow, but it left each state free to opt in or out⁶. Games of chance were deemed gambling and attracted prohibitions, while games of skill carved out a legal gray area that Indian courts have been navigating ever since²⁸.

Goa broke ranks in 1976. The Goa, Daman and Diu Public Gambling Act of that year is the only State enactment that allows casinos, and it maintained a deliberately liberal approach to physical casinos²⁹. Under that law, the government may authorize electronic amusement and slot machines in five star hotels, and table games on board vessels offshore³⁰. That single clause is why Goa's casinos float on a river and sit inside luxury hotels, and nowhere else.

The offshore era began in the 1990s and 2000s as vessels anchored in the Mandovi, and the scene has been politically contested ever since. In 2017 the state government promised the casinos a permanent base, saying all offshore casinos would have to shift to land-based operations within three years, to a designated entertainment zone reported to be planned around high-end casino hotels at Mopa in North Goa¹¹. The boats are still on the river, so the deadline has come and gone, but the long-term plan to move them ashore has not gone away.

Sikkim's story runs parallel: a small state that saw regulated gaming as a source of revenue and jobs, licensing casinos for visitors while keeping its own residents out⁴. Between them, the two states hold India's entire licensed casino industry, and for a visitor, that makes Goa's riverfront at night one of the more unexpected sights in the country.