India is one of the largest online gambling markets in the world, and thousands of local players visit foreign bookmaker sites every day. Among them is https://1-win.com.in/, an international betting and casino platform that has been operating in the country for several years. Before creating an account and making your first deposit, it is important to understand how legal it is to use this site, what laws regulate online gambling in India, and what has changed since the adoption of the new federal law in 2025.
Legal Framework: Colonial Heritage and the Digital Divide
Until recently, Indian gambling legislation was based on the Public Gambling Act of 1867. This piece of legislation, passed during the British colonial era, was aimed exclusively at physical gambling establishments — casinos, gambling dens and gambling houses. Of course, there is no mention of the internet in it. It was this legislative gap that for a long time created a so-called “grey area” in which foreign online platforms, including 1Win, operated.
The Indian Constitution assigns the regulation of betting and gambling to the states, not the federal government. That is why, for many years, the rules of the game were literally determined by the user’s place of residence: in one state, online gambling was considered acceptable, while in a neighbouring state it was strictly prohibited.
A Revolutionary Turning Point: The PROGA Act of 2025
In August 2025, the situation changed dramatically. On 22 August 2025, the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act (PROGA) came into force. This is the first comprehensive federal law regulating online gambling in the country’s history.
Key provisions of the law:
- A complete ban on the provision of real-money online gaming services, both for domestic and foreign operators serving Indian users.
- A ban on advertising any online gambling for money in any media.
- A ban on banks and payment systems from conducting transactions related to online gambling.
- Legalisation and support of e-sports and non-commercial online games.
An important nuance that lawyers point out: the law does not directly criminalise the actions of the players themselves who access foreign websites. Its repressive part is primarily directed against operators and financial intermediaries. However, as of the end of 2025, PROGA had not yet been officially enacted by notification of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, and its constitutionality is being challenged in the Supreme Court of India by a number of states and gaming companies.
1Win: Licence and Legal Status
1Win operates under Curaçao licence No. 8048/JAZ2018-040, issued by the Curaçao eGaming regulator. The platform is registered outside India and is not a domestic operator, which, under the previous regulatory system, excluded it from the direct application of Indian laws. That is why, before PROGA came into force, 1Win operated in India in a legal grey area — it was not directly permitted, but it was not directly prohibited either.
The site is adapted for an Indian audience: the interface is available in Hindi, payments in Indian rupees are supported, and account replenishment methods include UPI, Paytm, PhonePe and Google Pay. All this indicates that 1 Win is focused on Indian users and is actively working in this market.
The Situation by State: Where Gambling is Prohibited
Even before the adoption of PROGA, a number of states had introduced their own strict restrictions on online gambling. Users from the following regions should be particularly cautious:
- Telangana — a complete ban on all forms of internet gambling, including skill-based games.
- Andhra Pradesh — 2019 legislation prohibits online betting and casinos.
- Tamil Nadu — ban introduced by amendments to legislation in February 2021; violators face fines or imprisonment.
- Maharashtra — online betting is prohibited following a decision by the state cabinet.
In the states of Goa, Sikkim and Meghalaya, online gambling has historically been permitted and licensed by local authorities. Most other states were in legal limbo — neither explicitly prohibited nor permitted.
Taxes and Financial Risks for Players
Even if a user lives in a region where access to 1Win is not formally restricted, the financial side of the issue must be taken into account. Winnings from online gambling are taxed in India at a rate of 30% under the Income Tax Act. This obligation lies with the player, not the operator.
In addition, Indian banks do not officially process transactions related to online gambling. That is why most deposits and withdrawals on 1Win are made through e-wallets, UPI services or cryptocurrency — channels that remain outside direct banking control. This is convenient, but it carries its own risks: as regulations tighten, payment channels may be blocked.
What is Changing and What to Expect Next
The adoption of PROGA was a serious signal for the entire industry. The largest domestic platforms — Dream11, MPL, Games24x7 — are forced to rebuild their business models or leave the market. Critics of the law, including the Indian Gaming Federation, warn that a total ban will only push users to unregulated foreign sites rather than protect them.
The Supreme Court of India has accepted all constitutional complaints against PROGA for consideration. Until a final decision is made and the law is officially enacted, the legal status of 1 Win and similar foreign platforms remains uncertain — the law has been passed but is not being enforced.
Practical Recommendations
Before you start using 1Win, there are a few practical things to consider. First, you need to check the current legislation in your state: the situation is changing, and what was permissible yesterday may be an offence today. Second, when registering on the site, users undergo mandatory KYC verification — an identity verification procedure that requires the provision of documents. This is standard international practice, but it means that anonymity is not guaranteed. Finally, since the PROGA law is primarily aimed at operators and payment intermediaries, rather than ordinary players, the risk of criminal prosecution for private users remains minimal, although not zero.
The Indian online gambling market is at a turning point. Lawmakers are trying to bring order to the industry, but for now, the legal reality for 1Win users can be summed up in three words: complex, inconsistent and volatile.