Telangana has adopted stringent anti-gambling laws, banning online gambling platforms and games of chance under the Telangana Gaming Act. Yet, debates persist over skill-based games like rummy, occupying a legal gray area. With growing public interest and digital gaming expansion, the state’s regulatory landscape continues to face scrutiny and calls for reform.
The gambling industry has many branches that extend to all areas. No matter where you look in the gambling industry, you will find yourself interacting with areas such as financial security, legislation, and even crime. Depending on these issues and the government of each region, gambling can be very different. In today’s article, we talk about gambling laws in Telangana. We will also explain the context in which gambling takes place in this part of India.
Telangana Gambling Laws: Is it legal?
To be fair, the laws regarding gambling activities in Telangana are largely very vague and could mislead you. For many years, gambling has always been a reason to create insecurity for both tourists and locals. In many states in India, gambling is legal. In other states there are almost no restrictions, while some states place a complete ban on gambling.
Regarding the gambling laws in Telangana, we can firmly say that all those who venture into such activities will do so by taking a risk. Gambling is illegal, and there are not so many exceptions to choose from. For example, some casinos that are not in Telangana accept players from this geographical area, but if the authorities discover this, they will be punished.
Where can you gamble?
Unfortunately, the answer is as unpleasant as the gambling laws in Telangana. You are not allowed to get involved in gambling activities at all, so there is practically no place where you can participate in such an activity. The only exception to all these laws and rules is the most beloved activity in this country, horse racing. Somehow, no gambling activity is allowed in Telangana, but if you want to bet on horses, you will be able to do so.
However, there are certain conditions for this activity as well because these bets must be placed 100% under the supervision and coordination of a licensed bookmaker. If you are placing bets on this sport illegally, you will be punished for it.
Is online gambling legal in Telangana?
Although some players hope that they can avoid all these strict laws and rules by trying to get involved in online gambling activities, we are sorry to say that the law does not exclude online gambling from restrictions. We are talking about the Telangana Gaming Act of 1974, which in its form at the time only specified that any gambling activity, in any form, was forbidden.
Because the law was written and published in 1974, it became easy to avoid with the advent of online gambling. The law made no difference between the two, and therefore, people could use this to bet online. It did not last long, and in 2017, the law was changed.
Illegal Gambling Activities in Telangana
Because the law prohibits all forms of gambling and any activity that involves making winnings based on gambling, any type of luck-based game is illegal. Sports betting, table games, Blackjack, Roulette, Poker, Baccarat, Craps, virtual games, virtual or physical lotteries, and even virtual dog races or bets on E-sports games. All of them are forbidden in the territory of Telangana.
Horse Racing: the only gambling activity allowed
Telangana gambling laws allow you to bet on one sport: horse racing. These races are organized only in a few places in Telangana, and the law allows this because a lot of money from the state budget comes from this activity. Regardless of the amount you win on these bets, you will be required to pay a 28% fee. A very important thing to mention. More than 7,000 people place bets on horse racing every day.
The gambling centre of Telangana is in Hyderabad
Obviously, if the laws prohibit most gambling in this country, the betting activities that take place on the streets or online are illegal. Most of these illegal actions take place in Hyderabad, where the horse races fall under the coordination of Hyderabad Race Club. Basically, the state had to tax these betting actions. Otherwise, they lost a lot of money from the state budget.
The number of people placing bets was so high that the opportunity could not be missed.
This does not change the fact that Hyderabad is one of the cities with one of the highest crime rates. And most of the illegal actions in this city fall into the category of illegal gambling. For many years, locals organized hundreds and even thousands of gambling activities in this region every day.
Gambling Laws in Telangana
Horse racing is the only legal gambling activity, but there are other exceptions that you can enjoy. Telangana is a state that organizes a national lottery, so you may find this activity pretty enjoyable considering the restrictions. Another exception is the Rummy game. Although you cannot play it in the online version, if you play it offline without any stake, it is legal.
An exception that we do not recommend you try is the Warangal area. This is an area in Telangana where you will quickly find places where people organize illegal gambling events. Everything is so strict that people have fun even watching organized dog fights on the streets.
To close this guide on gambling laws in Telangana, any gambling activity you will practice here is completely illegal. Sadly, the exceptions that are exempt from these restrictions are not many at all. If you do not share everyone’s passion for betting on horse racing, you will not find other alternatives to place bets. #hydkhabar
About The Author
Ahssanuddin Haseeb 
Faraaz Mohammed