Updated on September 22, 2022 by Lucas Mathis
In general, any form of gambling in India is illegal. On the other hand, the Central Government gives authority to all state governments to formulate rules and regulations on lotteries (in accordance with the Lotteries Regulation Act 1998).
So how do players in India enjoy popular lotteries from around the world? Well, any state government in India can have lottery draws. However, they must meet specific requirements. As a player living in India, you’ll find valuable information about the legality of lotteries in India and which games are the best to play. Keep reading to find out more!
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Lottery draws are legal in 13 states in India but they must meet specific rules and regulations. The state government alone organizes these draws and the draws mustn’t take place outside of this state. Tickets are sold by the Indian state government and all of them must have the state logo printed on the paper.
Furthermore, the lottery must be organized through an authorized agent or vendor. Prizes mustn’t be single digits and no reward will be given on numbers that have been pre-announced. The state government will conduct the draw and any unclaimed winnings will become the state government’s property.
Terms and conditions for lotteries must be drawn up and adhered to by the lottery and the players. The central government doesn’t organize lotteries. But they can intervene if other state governments decide to promote or organize lotteries in other states.
State lotteries in India are governed by two laws. These legislations ensure your safety as a lottery player in India. In this section, we explain what these two laws entail and how they affect the lotteries organized in Indian states.
On January 25, 1867, the Public Gambling Act of 1987 was created and is the central law that prevents the organization of gambling houses in India. The act also prohibits citizens from visiting gambling houses. There are punishments for not adhering to this act and people can incur fines of ₹200 or imprisonment of up to 3 months. Visiting a gambling house will cost you ₹100 and imprisonment for 1 month.
A gambling house is any facility that has tables, cards or other types of games organized for profit. However, in 1950 the issues pertaining to gambling and betting were divided. The act includes games of wagering and betting but doesn’t include lotteries. most states adopted the principles of the Public Gambling Act 1857 with some adjustments after the Constitution of India came into effect. Therefore, allowing each state to have their own act on gambling and lotteries.
The Lotteries Regulation Act of 1998 include rules for any lottery organized in India. However, this act was further regulated in 2010 which states the number of draws and payouts given to players. However, there are conditions on the act to which lotteries may be organized such as:
This act also states that state governments have the right to prohibit the organization and selling of lottery tickets. Any person or organization that violates the rules in states where lotteries are prohibited can face up to 2 years in prison and fines.
The best government lottery in India will depend on the government state you live in. Some players enjoy Lottery Sambad because it has three draws a day with jackpots between 25 lakh and 31 lakh. Other players prefer the Punjab state lottery because it focuses more on giant bumper lotteries such as New Year Lohri bumper.
Or you can simply play Lotto India because it’s the largest online lottery in India. Draws are held every 6:00 PM IST every Tuesday and Friday. You can Match one ball to win the Free Bet Bonus. Their site states that you can win jackpots that are three times the amount offered by other Indian state lotteries.
As mentioned before there are 13 states in India that organize, conduct, and promote lotteries. In these states, it’s 100% legal for lotteries to take place and for players to take part in the lotteries either online or through vendors.
It should be noted that players who live in a specific state can only play the lottery in that location. For example, if you live in Assam you can’t play the lottery in Sikkim. Interstate lotteries are typically prohibited unless it states otherwise. This means that if you live in a state where lotteries are banned you won’t be able to play the lottery in states where these games are allowed.
On the other hand, for Indian players who don’t want to play their local state lotteries or for those who live in states where lotteries are banned, you can play internationally through sites.
The Assam state lottery is called Bodoland Lottery. The tickets are sold offline for up to ₹2. Results are published on the lotteries website which has limited information on it. The maximum prize you can win is ₹5 lakh. Draws are done for lotteries daily from Monday to Sunday at 3pm for all lotteries held in Assam.
Lotteries include:
| Day | Time | Lottery |
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There are about 7 lotteries that run in Arunachal Pradesh from Monday to Sunday including Singam Peak and Singam Pinnacle. These are offline lotteries so you have to purchase a paper ticket. Tickets cost ₹6 with a maximum prize of ₹23.03. Unlike other Indian state lotteries this one provides a live stream. Or check the results on their website.
Lottery draws are done three times a day in the morning at 10:55 am, in the afternoon at 3 pm and in the evening at 7 pm. These lotteries are:
| Day | Time | Lottery | Jackpot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday |
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Singam Peak | ₹26.03 lakhs |
| Tuesday |
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Singam Summit | ₹26.03 lakhs |
| Wednesday |
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Singam Pinnacle | ₹26.03 lakhs |
| Thursday |
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Singam Cliff | ₹26.03 lakhs |
| Friday |
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Singam Heap | ₹26.03 lakhs |
| Saturday |
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Singam Stack | ₹26.03 lakhs |
| Sunday |
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Singam Volcano | ₹26.03 lakhs |
Sikkim has over 14 lotteries for players to enjoy including Dear Smart and Dear Breeze. This state only offers offline lotteries so you have to buy paper tickets. Each ticket may cost you a maximum of ₹2 and you can win up to ₹10,000. The location of the draws is held in Gangkok from Mondays to Sundays. This lottery draws include:
| Day | Time | Lottery | Jackpot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday |
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Dear Smart | $35.6K |
| Tuesday |
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Dear Fresh | $35.6K |
| Wednesday |
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Dear Starter | $35.6K |
| Thursday |
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Dear Breeze | $35.6K |
| Friday |
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Dear Early | $35.6K |
| Saturday |
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Dear Bloom | $35.6K |
| Sunday |
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Dear Wake | $35.6K |
Kerala is another Indian state that has up to 14 lotteries. These are paper lotteries so you can’t play games online. The maximum ticket price is ₹30 with a maximum jackpot prize of ₹7 Crore. Results for the different draws can be viewed on the state’s official website. Draws are held Monday to Friday and each one has a different name:
| Day | Time | Lottery | Jackpot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | 3:00 PM | Pournami | $95.9K |
| Tuesday | 3:00 PM | Win-Win | $61.2K |
| Wednesday | 3:00 PM | Sthree Sakthi | $95.9K |
| Thursday | 3:00 PM | Akshaya | $56.4K |
| Friday | 3:00 PM | Karunya Plus | $95.9K |
| Saturday | 3:00 PM | Nirmal | $56.4K |
| Sunday | 3:00 PM | Karunya | $137K |
The Indian state of Punjab has over 5 lotteries including Baisakhi and Diwali. All lotteries are offline so you have to buy paper tickets. However, draws are streamed live on the state’s official website. Ticket prices can cost you a maximum of ₹20 with a prize of ₹5.25 crore.
This state only has bumper lotteries on the most important holidays of the year:
| Day | Time | Lottery | Jackpot |
|---|---|---|---|
| March | 6:00 PM | Holi | $282.3K |
| May | 6:00 PM | Baisakhi | $188.2K |
| August | 5.30 PM | Rakhi | $282.3K |
| November | 4:30 PM | Diwal | $282.3K |
| January | 6:00 PM | New Year Lohri | $188.2K |
Currently, West Bengal is not running any lottery draws. So players can visit Lottery Sambad which is a popular lottery game across many Indian states. Players in the West Bengal state can play Nagaland Lottery games. Tickets can be purchased online which makes it more convenient for players. Prices for tickets can cost up to ₹6.
There are three lotteries that are running in the state of Nagaland with draws every day of the week. These lotteries have several bumper draws annually. They are all offline lotteries so you must purchase your ticket at your local vendor. Ticket prices may cost you ₹6. Draws take place three times a day 1 pm, 4 pm, and 8 pm. These draws include:
| Monday | Dear Ganga Morning
Dear Sun Day Dear Flamingo Evening |
| Tuesday | Dear Teesta Morning
Dear Moon Day Dear Parrot Evening |
| Wednesday | Dear Torsa Morning
Dear Mercury Day Dear Eagle Evening |
| Thursday | Dear Padma Morning
Dear Venus Day Dear Falcon Evening |
| Friday | Dear Hooghly Morning
Dear Earth Day Dear Vulture Evening |
| Saturday | Dear Kosai Morning
Dear Mars Day Dear Ostrich Evening |
| Sunday | Dear Damodar Morning
Dear Jupiter Day Dear Hawk Evening |
There are up to 6 lotteries in Mizoram with four of the lotteries held weekly and the Rajshree 500 runs monthly. There’s also the Basant Panchami Bumper which is a fortnight lottery draw. Ticket prices in this state may vary but the maximum price is ₹6 with lottery jackpot prizes of ₹1 crore.
Draws are held every Monday and second Tuesday of the month, as well as every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday. These draws are:
| Day | Time | Lottery | Jackpot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | 6.30 pm | Rajshree Magic 50 Weekly | ₹5.5 Lakh |
| Wednesday | 6.30 pm | Rajshree Magic 100 Weekly | ₹6 Lakh |
| Second Tuesday of every month | 5:00 PM | Rajshree 500 Monthly | ₹2.5 Lakh |
| Saturday | 4:00 PM | Rajshree Magic 30 Weekly | ₹1.5 Lakh |
| Sunday | 6.30 pm | Rajshree Magic 20 Weekly | ₹11 Lakh |
| February | 8:00 PM | Basant Panchami Bumper | ₹1 crore |
The Indian state of Meghalaya has a state run lottery. There are three draws a day from Monday to Friday. This is a paper lottery so you can only buy tickets from a physical vendor. Ticket prices are around ₹6 with the highest prize of ₹29 lakh. Draws include the following:
| Day | Time | Lottery | Jackpot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday |
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Future Stream | ₹29 Lakh |
| Tuesday |
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Future Torrent | ₹29 Lakh |
| Wednesday |
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Future Flush | ₹29 Lakh |
| Thursday |
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Future Cascade | ₹29 Lakh |
| Friday |
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Future Drought | ₹29 Lakh |
| Saturday |
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Future Inlet | ₹29 Lakh |
| Sunday |
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Future Brook | ₹29 Lakh |
There are around 21 lotteries in the state of Manipur with draws three times a day from Monday to Sunday. Tickets are sold offline by licensed retailers. You can expect to pay ₹6 for a ticket and the maximum prize is ₹27 lakh. They do live streaming on draws and you can view results online or in the local newspaper. Draws include:
| Monday | Tagetes
Foxglove Candytuft |
| Tuesday | Helenium
Wedelia Kalmia |
| Wednesday | Anemone
Sedum Dahlia |
| Thursday | Gerbera
Echium Ursinia |
| Friday | Verbena
Nepeta Nemesia |
| Saturday | Alyssum
Honesty Freesia |
| Sunday | Begonia
Vinca Flumeia |
There are over 10 lotteries available in the state of Maharashtra. However, all lotteries are offline so you must buy paper tickets from an authorized vendor. Ticket prices are ₹10 and the maximum prize is ₹1 crore. Draws are done four times a day from Monday to Saturday and three draws on Sunday:
| Monday | Sagar Laxmi
Gajlaxmi Som Ganeshlaxmi Bhagyashali Sahyadri Dhanlaxmi |
| Tuesday | Padmini
Gajlaxmi Mangal Ganeshlaxmi Shubh Sahyadri Mahalaxmi |
| Wednesday | Akshay
Gajlaxmi Budh Ganeshlaxmi Vijayee Sahyadri Vijayalaxmi |
| Thursday | Akarshak Pushkraj
Gajlaxmi Guru Ganeshlaxmi Gaurav Sahyadri Deeplaxmi |
| Friday | Vaibhav Laxmi
Gajlaxmi Akarshak Ganeshlaxmi Dahn Sahyadri Rajlaxmi |
| Saturday | Maharashtra Laxmi
Gajlaxmi Shani Ganesh Laxmi Samruddhi Sahyadri Prabhalaxmi |
| Sunday | Mohini
Gajlaxmi Ravi Ganeshlaxmi Vaibhav |
There are three daily lottery draws in the state of Madhya from Monday to Sunday. This is a paper lottery so you have to purchase tickets offline. The ticket prices for this lottery are unknown as well as the maximum prize. There is also no official website for this lottery yet. The three daily draws include:
| Day | Lottery | Jackpot |
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There are up to 5 lotteries in the state of Goa and they have three lottery draws a day from Monday to Sunday. There are also bumper draws set at different times of the year. And the Golden Shreemala Rashi has the largest prize in the state with five prizes of ₹10 lakh each. Ticket prices are a minimum of ₹6. Lottery draws include:
| Monday | Earth
Som Aries |
| Tuesday | Sun
Mangal Taurus |
| Wednesday | Moon
Budh Gemini |
| Thursday | Jupiter
Guru Cancer |
| Friday | Mars
Shukra Leo |
| Saturday | Mercury
Shani Virgo |
| Sunday | Venus
Ravi Libra |
There are those who oppose lotteries in India because they believe it’s a form of gambling. Additionally, it could make the poor citizens of India develop a habit and make them even more bankrupt. However, online lotteries such as MegaMillions or the US Powerball are organized by foreign operators which protects them from the laws of Indian legislation.
Indian players can participate in online lotteries if they go through sites such as TheLotter or LottoAgent. Since these online lotteries are not privately owned by Indian citizens they are considered legal.
There are states in India where lotteries are 100% legal and organized by said state’s government. But of the 28 states in India, there are 15 that have banned lottery games completely. There are also 8 union territories that have banned lotteries. It’s important to know which states offer legal lottery games so that you’re always in accordance with Indian laws. To assist you, we’ve provided a list of Indian states that have banned lottery games:
If you want to play lotteries in India there are a few rules and regulations to adhere to. First of all, you must live in a state where buying lottery tickets is legal. Lottery tickets sold will only be for that specific state with Sikkim and Sambad as an exception in some Indian states.
All lottery tickets are offline. There may be websites that market the lotteries in each government state in India but these sites don’t allow you to buy lottery tickets. This means you must find a physical lottery retailer to buy your tickets from. You may be able to pre-order lottery tickets in some states using a mobile app or website.
Additionally, the government lottery in India doesn’t allow foreigners to participate in their lotteries. Each state that runs a lottery is organized by the Finance Department of that Indian government. These lottery draws are all planned differently such as the dates and times of the draw.
Jumbo lottery machines are used to draw numbers for every game. So there is no digitalized drawing. These machines randomly pick numbers for the lottery. If you win the lottery in your state you must fill out a claims form and send the winning ticket to a head office. Prizes are then paid to winners when their forms have been processed and approved.
Playing the lottery in India is similar to how you’d play the game in other countries. You must visit a physical lottery vendor to purchase your tickets. Each lottery will have different prices for lottery tickets.
Furthermore, each lottery will have different rules on how many numbers to choose. For this example, we’ll use Lotto India. This lottery is a 6/50 game which means you must choose 6 numbers between 1 and 50 to play. You’ll be charged ₹40 per panel when playing.
Once you’ve chosen your numbers, your ticket will be printed out. You must keep your lottery ticket safe. If your lottery ticket is damaged or lost you may need to contact the head office of your state lottery. But this is only if you win the jackpot.
You can use various strategies to win your state’s lottery jackpot such as a lottery wheeling system or even using hot or cold numbers. Simply ensure that you adhere to the rules and regulations of your state lottery.
One law that’s absolute in India is that you can’t buy lottery tickets online. Additionally, many states prohibit the use of debit or credit cards to buy lottery tickets. Follow these easy steps to buy lottery tickets in India:
As mentioned before, the price of tickets may differ from game to game. Choose a lottery that offers the most affordable tickets or check whether you can join a syndicate so you can save money.
Each state lottery in India will have an official website that you can visit. To see the results of the lottery you’ve entered, visit your state’s lottery website to see the current and past draws for the game. On the other hand, if you can’t access these websites for whatever reason, you can check for results in your local newspaper.
Alternatively, some states provide live draws on YouTube or TV stations so you can view the draw as it’s happening. Compare the numbers on your ticket to the numbers that are drawn on your screen to see if you’ve won.
Claiming your lottery prize in India can be a tedious process. State lotteries will need identification and other types of documents to prove you’re the winner of the prize. Claiming a prize may differ depending on the state you reside in. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to claim your lottery winnings in India:
Once you have all your documents together you can visit your local lottery claims office to hand in your paperwork.
The one drawback of Indian government lotteries is that most of them are paper lotteries. This means you can’t purchase lottery tickets online. Here are additional pros and cons between online lotteries and Indian Government lotteries:
| Pros | Cons | |
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Indian Government Lotteries |
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Online Lotteries |
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If you don’t want the hassle of dealing with a long claims process for prizes then consider an alternative to Indian government state lotteries. You can pick from a variety of games online including Lotto India which has drawn every Tuesday and Friday with a jackpot of up to ₹40,000.
Here are other popular lotteries you can play online:
In 1867 the Public Gambling Act banned Indian citizens from organizing, visiting, or taking part in any gambling activities. Laws only started to change a century later. In 1967 Kerala became the first state to launch a lottery in India. The state paved the way for more lotteries to open up in India. However, there are states that still don’t allow lotteries including Bihar, Ladakh, and Uttar Pradesh.
If you live in India you have a variety of choices when it comes to the lottery. If you reside in a state that has its own government state lottery then you can take part in it. But if you live in an Indian state that has banned lotteries, you can still participate in online games such as EuroMillions or MegaMillions. Simply choose a safe online lottery site such as LottoLand. Use this guide to help you find an alternative to lotteries in India.
Are Indian State Lotteries Legal?
Not all Indian states allow lotteries. Therefore, any lotteries organized in states that have banned the lottery are not legal. However, there are 13 states that allow lottery games which makes the game legal in these areas.
Why Are There Government Lotteries in Only a Few States?
Some states ban lotteries in India because of the concern that citizens might get addicted to gambling. The addiction may lead to family ruin. Additionally, the cost of running lotteries is too high to keep these practices going especially in poorer states.
Is There Any Online Government Lottery in India?
No, there are no online government lottery games in India. Tickets must be purchased from a licensed vendor. What’s more, you’re can’t buy lottery tickets in another state. You must only purchase tickets where you reside.
Can You Play the Government Lottery in India for Free?
No, there are no government lotteries in India that provide free lottery tickets. All proceeds from lottery tickets go to the state account which may be used to fund infrastructure. There are tickets that range between ₹2 and ₹600 or more.
Can You Play Government Lotteries Online in India?
No, you can’t play government lotteries online in India. Each state does have an official lottery site but these platforms are only to provide lottery results. The only way you can play the lottery in India is if you purchase paper tickets from your local vendor.
Which Is the Biggest Lottery in India?
According to most Indian players, the best lottery game is the Thiruvonum Bumper lottery which is organized by the state of Kerala. The lottery is run in September every year and ticket prices can be ₹200. The main prize for this game can range from ₹7 Crore to ₹12 Crore
Are There Private Lotteries in India?
No, there are no private lotteries run in India. According to the Lottery Regulations Act, all private lotteries are illegal and therefore prohibited. All lotteries must be approved by the Central Government.
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