Is Vision11 legal in India? A reading reference

How the desk reads the legal framing

Paid fantasy sports contests in India are treated as games of skill in most Indian states. The Public Gambling Act, 1867 prohibits operating or visiting a "common gaming house" but explicitly carves out games of skill. Indian courts have repeatedly held that fantasy sports contests — where the player builds a squad from a real player pool and is rewarded for cricket knowledge — are games of skill, not chance.

Skill vs chance — the desk's reading

The skill-vs-chance distinction matters because Indian law treats games of skill differently from games of chance. The desk's reading is that a fantasy cricket contest is a game of skill because the outcome depends on the player's cricket knowledge — reading squads, reading surfaces, reading form — not on luck. The desk treats any fantasy contest that rewards knowledge over chance as a game of skill; contests that rely primarily on randomness fall outside that framing.

State rules that affect paid fantasy contests

A small number of states have issued gaming notices that restrict paid fantasy contests. The desk's State Eligibility hub carries the full grid. If your state is marked "Restricted" or "Under review", the in-app eligibility check will block you from joining a paid contest. The desk republishes the grid as a reading reference; the in-app check is the canonical source.

What the desk does and does not publish

The desk publishes a reading reference for the legal framing. The desk does not publish legal advice, does not act as a substitute for a qualified lawyer, and does not represent Vision11 in any legal capacity. For jurisdiction-specific legal questions, consult a qualified lawyer in your state.

How this page fits with the rest of the desk

This page is the home for the legal framing. The State Eligibility hub covers the state grid. The Responsible Play page covers responsible-play resources. The About page covers the editorial desk's role.