Most Fantasy cricket gaming apps find themselves unwittingly earning because of India’s archaic legal system. The Indian Constitution recognises gambling and betting as legislative issues and have included Fantasy cricket in List II, Entry 34 of the Seventh Schedule.
A few months ago, the Kerala High Court sent notices to the likes of Sourav Ganguly and Virat Kohli for endorsing these apps. The concern of the government was nothing but inadvertently exposure of public, especially minors, to gambling via gaming apps.
The gambling laws of several states are regulated by the Public Gambling Act of 1987. However, following the adoption of the Constitution, betting and gambling came solely under the jurisdiction of state legislatures. States like Assam, Sikkim, Nagaland, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and Telangana also prohibited betting and gambling.
There is still a lot of confusion on whether Fantasy cricket is legal or not. To add clarity, the Indian government think-tank Niti Aayog published a report discussing the rules and principles in the country.
The report highlighted the phenomenal growth of the Offer For Product Sale (OFPS) sector in India. From 2016 to 2019, the gaming app industry has grown at a staggering annual rate of 212 percent.
Niti Aayog acknowledged that India has already surpassed the USA as the largest market for online fantasy sports. They strongly advised to offer the paid gaming opportunity only to users above 18. They also prohibited advertisement of gambling services on any Fantasy app, and demanded additional clarity in the terms and conditions.