India to embrace DFS betting

After a high court ruling, India is one step closer to approving daily fantasy sports betting in the country.

India.- As in the USA, India has been waiting on a high court ruling regarding sports betting… and  it looks like the wait could be over. Following a favourable ruling, daily fantasy sports (DFS) could be approved in the future as it is not considered gambling but a game which requires a great amount of skill.

Lawyer Varun Gumber filed a lawsuit against online fantasy sports betting website Deam11 which backfired as Justice Amit Rawal ruled that DFS does not constitute gambling and that it requires a significant amount of skill. According to him, DFS participants needed to consider player performances, sporting events, previous records, weather and other factors before betting.

However, Gumber decided to take the case to the Punjab and Haryana High Court in August, which backed the prior ruling. Furthermore, the petition was summarily dismissed and DFS authorisations could be one step closer thanks to a lawsuit which intended to bring them down.

Despite the ruling, DFS still needs to be taken into the Indian National Congress and debated by lawmakers, with provisions in the Public Gaming Act of 1867 in its way.

Still, over seven million players are recorded in India – an amount which grows 30 per cent yearly – so keep an eye on potential legalisation in the upcoming months as DFS could be the next big thing in the country.