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Best online poker sites in India 2023
India is one of the largest countries in the world and the second most populated one after China. India captivates with its unmatched nature, unique traditions, rich architecture, and history. Due to the massive population of over 1.4 billion, the country offers a growing market for online poker operators. And Indian gamblers are among the most avid grinders. Worldpokerdeals has collected the most vital information on online poker in India, introducing the best sites and most outstanding Indian online players.
Top poker sites for players from India
Contact our manager to get yourself a deal.
| Rank | Poker Site | Deposit Bonus |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Natural8 | up to $1000 |
| 2 | PPPoker | rakeback 50% |
| 3 | Pokerking | up to $2000 |
| 5 | Betonline poker | up to $1000 |
GGpoker India
From GG Poker Network skins only Natural8 is available for players from India.
Natural 8 is the Asian-facing skin of the global GGNetwork. Indians are welcome to take advantage of a unique 200% first deposit bonus of up to $1,000 and get access to Fish Buffet Rewards to get up to 60% PVI rakeback. N8 hosts a millionaire tournament series in partnership with WSOP, APT, WPT, among other famous brands.
About cash games, the action starts at micro-stakes up to nosebleeds matches. The lobby also includes 6+ Hold’em, Spin&Go, All-in or Fold. No TDS tax applies here.
Club-based poker apps
Nowadays club-based apps are no inferior to regular online poker sites in terms of traffic or rakeback. Such sites are a great solution for countries with regulations like India, especially because withdrawals are not subject to TDS tax. Our deal includes access to all profitable unions with traffic up to NL/PLO5k (including PLO5/6), agent cashier with cryptocurrencies, money guarantees, and support seven days a week.
Pokerking
PokerKing belongs to the crypto-friendly network WPN, which has been operating for almost two decades in the United States and many other regions, including India. The lobby offers exotic games like Stud or Omaha Hi/Lo, and the traditional NLH/PLO. The MTT grid and the SnG offer will please tournament fans as well. After registering you will get a first deposit bonus of up to $2,000 and access to a VIP program giving massive rakeback.
Online poker in India
The history of online poker in India can be traced back only to 2004. Since then, the popularity of this card game has been steadily rising. Apparently, India is among the top 10 countries with the highest interest in poker. Overall, 60,500 searches for “poker” in Google are registered per month.
Furthermore, despite the illegality of the gambling business in the country, there are still around 15 casinos located in Goa. This proves that Indian players are eager to have their brick-and-mortar venues to play poker tet-a-tet. On the other hand, online gambling is entirely legal if the casino has an offshore registration and license. And the availability of the most reputable rooms in the world in India helps gamblers find the perfect venue easier.
The legal background of online poker in India
The federal 1867 Public Gambling Act is the most vital legal document related to gambling for real money in India. The document restrains anyone from being present in a gambling venue or running a public gambling house. And yet, this restraint pertains to games of chance. On the other hand, poker is indicated as a game of skill in India.
The following crucial document pertaining to poker gambling in India is the Information Technology Act of 2000. The latter gives a precise distinction between card games and casino games. Unfortunately, some Indian courts still ignore these precedents and assume another point of view regarding poker playing.
Considering these points, the legal status of online poker sites is different in India, depending on the state.
Except for Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim, Nagaland, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha and Telangana, other states haven’t tackled the issue yet. These states are the only states in India that have clear-cut online poker regulations and licensed online poker rooms: Adda52, Spartan, and others.
So, suppose you are interested in whether poker gambling is legal in India or not. In that case, the question has no precise answer since there is a complicated legal framework determining the matter. In all cases, neither the federal government nor state-level authorities ever go after payers, especially when gambling at poker rooms with offshore licenses and regulations.
In India, the legal age of gambling is 18, whether the user gambles online or in a land-based casino.
Tax
Even though the country is not unanimous on the legal status of online poker in India, all the states agree that if a player can earn money by playing online, they have to pay the respective 30% income tax on all wins exceeding 10K Rupees. This is because tax regulations, unlike gambling-specific laws, are uniform across the country.
So, every time a player wins, the profits become liable for 30% upon withdrawing them. The tax is deducted right on the spot by the gambling site and sent to the government. The player, meanwhile, receives a certificate for tax return.
Available deposit and withdrawal methods
Unlike Western countries, Indian players majorly rely on credit cards when conducting payments in poker rooms. Casinos licensed by Sikkim also offer Pay By Cash and Netbanking payment options, while the most widely accepted withdrawal methods at these casinos are check by mail and wire transfer. On the other hand, Sikkim-licensed gambling rooms don’t allow e-wallet payments; hence cashing out via Skrill or Neteller is impossible.
However, players have a more comprehensive selection of payment methods when playing poker games at casinos licensed by overseas companies. These are:
- Cryptocurrencies.
- ecoPayz.
- Visa and MasterCard.
- Paytm: This payment processor is widely popular in India. It enables locals to pay for various services involving flights, movies, hotels, and gambling.
- Cashfree: Another widespread banking option in India is Cashfree. The latter allows for conducting both local and international money transfers from India.
- PayUmoney: This Indian payment gateway operates with over 50 local banks, all credit cards, and other payment services. PayUmoney is accepted by all major internet companies, including poker sites.
Best Indian poker players
With over 1.4 billion players in India and a great love for card games, it is apparent that India has given the world many outstanding players. They have amassed millions of dollars of net worth thanks to not so much luck but their skills and practice. So, here are those Indian poker players who have gained tremendous popularity thanks to their skills:
- Vivek Rajkumar - the total wins make $8,080,012;
- Nipun Java - the total wins make $2,822,441;
- Aditya Agarwal - the total wins make $1,423,702;
- Raghav Bansal - the total wins make $1,107,268;
- Abhinav Iyer - the total wins make $1,107,039;
- Ankit Ahuja - the total wins make $1,073,072.
India takes 47th place in the world’s rankings of poker wins by country. The country has registered $27.4 million won across online games.
Summary
As you can conclude from this review, Indian players are deeply involved in poker games. Although most states haven’t legalized poker yet, users still access various gambling sites with no restraints or prohibitions since Sikkim or offshore countries license most rooms. This review aimed to help gamblers better picture the best venues to play online poker and determine what payment methods will be available and what taxes are imposed on them in India.
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