In India, Goa recorded 780 cases related to online gambling in 2024, the highest figure in the last five years. The increase highlights the growing scale of illegal betting activities in the coastal state, despite sustained enforcement efforts by police and government authorities. The cases span both North and South Goa and include a mix of traditional and digital gambling operations.
Gambling cases rise year on year
The 780 cases registered in 2024 mark a significant rise from 2023, when authorities recorded 670 cases. In 2022, the figure stood at 662, while 688 cases were booked in 2021, according to Herald Goa. The numbers from 2020 were lower than current levels, showing a clear upward trend over recent years. The registered offences include online gambling, mini casinos.
Government action against illegal online betting
Recently, the state issued 371 notices to mobile service providers, internet service providers, and domain registrars. The notices directed them to block and take down illegal online betting and gambling websites.
Chief Minister and Home Minister Pramod Sawant informed the Legislative Assembly about these actions, stating that the government is actively targeting digital platforms that facilitate illegal gambling. The move is aimed at cutting access to betting websites that operate without approval and often target local users.
Laws governing gambling in Goa
Online betting and gambling are prohibited in Goa under the Goa, Daman and Diu Public Gambling Act, 1976. Although the law predates the internet era, the state applies its provisions to online gambling by treating digital platforms as instruments of gambling operating without lawful authority.
Enforcement is supported by the Information Technology Act, 2000. Under this law, authorities can block access to websites and applications involved in illegal activities, including gambling. Officials have used these provisions to restrict access to betting platforms hosted both within and outside India.
Only licensed casinos are legally allowed to operate in Goa. These permissions are limited to land based casinos located in five star hotels and offshore casinos operating on vessels in the Mandovi river. All other forms of gambling, including online betting and unauthorised gaming centres, remain illegal.
Goa tops India in gambling crime rate
According to the Crime in India 2023 report released by the National Crime Records Bureau, Goa recorded the highest gambling related crime rate in the country. The state reported a rate of 42.7 cases per 1,00,000 population, far above the national average of 11.9.
In absolute numbers, Goa registered 673 cases under the Gambling Act in 2023. While this is lower than larger states, the crime rate is higher due to Goa’s smaller population. The NCRB reported Goa’s projected population in 2023 at 1,577,000.
By comparison, Madhya Pradesh recorded a gambling crime rate of 32.2, with 27,997 cases and a population of 86,923,000. Maharashtra reported a rate of 25.9, with 32,824 cases and a population of 126,710,000. The NCRB noted that crime rate per population is a more accurate measure of criminal activity than total case numbers.
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