Until recently, users of betting apps in India were required to complete Know Your Customer (KYC) verification before making any withdrawals.
This step ensured compliance with anti-money laundering rules and gave platforms a layer of legal protection under older regulatory frameworks.
The process typically meant submitting Aadhaar, PAN, or a passport to verify age, identity, and address details.
While the new Online Gaming Bill, 2025, has changed the status of money gaming platforms, understanding how KYC functioned remains vital for grasping the legal and financial shifts in India’s betting landscape.
Do Betting Apps in India Require KYC Verification? – Key Takeaways
Most legal betting apps in India require KYC to verify user identity, prevent fraud, and comply with financial regulations:
- Most legal betting apps in India require KYC verification before allowing the first withdrawal.
- KYC helps gambling platforms detect suspicious behavior and prevent fraudulent activity.
- Gaming operators are subject to mandatory compliance regulations that require them to verify the identities of their customers.
Note: The points below describe how betting apps operated before the Online Gaming Bill, 2025. Since the Bill’s launch, real-money betting apps are no longer permitted in India, making their use and related KYC processes both illegal and unsafe.
Why Is KYC Important for Indian Betting Users?
Before the Online Gaming Bill, 2025, KYC verification was essential for users of legal betting apps in India, helping platforms prevent fraud and comply with financial rules.
The process helps prevent fraud by ensuring that individuals participating in gambling activities are who they claim to be, including verifying personal information and the source of their funds.
The method enables platforms to comply with Indian banking regulations, prevents underage gambling, and ensures secure transactions.
For users, completing Know Your Customer (KYC) verification means faster withdrawals, higher transaction limits, and access to customer support when needed.
What Does The Law Say About KYC Requirements While Playing on Betting Apps
Earlier, betting apps were required to follow RBI-mandated KYC norms and, in some states, additional compliance rules.
This ensures that platforms can monitor suspicious activity and prevent fraud.
Though there is no single national law regulating online betting, apps using official payment systems must follow RBI-mandated KYC guidelines.
Some states with legalized betting also enforce their own Know Your Customer (KYC) requirements. Choosing KYC-compliant platforms protects users legally and financially.
How Does the KYC Process Work on Legal Betting Apps in India?
Before the ban, most betting apps in India followed a mandatory but straightforward KYC process to verify a user’s identity before allowing withdrawals or full access.
Here’s how it typically works:
- Upload a valid government-issued ID such as a PAN card, Aadhaar, or passport.
- Submit address proof like a utility bill, bank statement, or Aadhaar with your address.
- Provide a live selfie or short video to match your face with the submitted ID.
- The platform verifies the documents within 24–48 hours, thereby completing the Know Your Customer (KYC) process.
Are NO KYC Betting Apps Legal in India?
Earlier, offshore platforms that skipped KYC operated in a legal grey zone. Now, under the new Bill, all real-money betting apps, with or without KYC, are banned in India, making their use illegal and unsafe.
An online casino, sports betting platform, or any other gambling site without KYC checks may be non-compliant and illegal in most jurisdictions.
While some offshore platforms allow betting without verification, they lack proper licensing and regulatory oversight.
The NCPCR wrote to the IT ministry stating that the absence of KYC norms on gambling apps led to the unlawful participation of children in online gambling.
Indian bettors often access and use international betting sites licensed offshore, but these platforms offer limited legal protection and may disappear with user funds without warning.
What Happens If You Skip KYC on Betting Apps In India?
When betting apps were still legal, avoiding KYC verification often led to blocked withdrawals or account suspensions.
KYC verification is mandatory; skipping KYC on betting apps could lead to longer processing times for the first withdrawal, and many platforms will freeze your account until verification is complete.
Without KYC, you may face restricted deposit limits, blocked withdrawals, suspended betting privileges, and loss of customer support access.
Some platforms may permanently close accounts that repeatedly fail to meet verification requirements, potentially resulting in forfeited winnings.
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Conclusion: KYC For Betting Apps In India Was Pre-2025 Only
Earlier, betting apps in India required KYC to verify identity, prevent fraud, and ensure smoother withdrawals for users. It was a standard safeguard under financial regulations.
With the Online Gaming Bill, 2025, all money-based betting apps are now banned, making those KYC rules part of past practice.
Stay updated with new laws and regulations to better understand safe and legal online gaming options in India.
FAQs
Personal data is protected by encryption and privacy protocols on reputable betting apps.
Each individual must submit their identity documents for KYC, as sharing the same documents across accounts violates platform rules and may result in suspension.
Most Indian betting apps required users to be 18 years or older, although some states may set the minimum age at 21.
KYC verification is free on trusted betting apps, and any platform asking for payment should be avoided.
Betting apps usually accepted PAN, Aadhaar, passport, or voter ID for identity, along with a utility bill or bank statement for address.
