The issues with regard to the legality of lotteries are decided by the individual states in India and while some states may not have government-run lotteries, players in India can still enjoy online lotteries. In fact, you will find several stories of famous jackpot winners in India. As technology becomes more and more available to the general public, so does their interest in online lotteries.
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CURRENT INDIAN LOTTERY LAW
As mentioned earlier, there is no blanket ban on lotteries across India. Instead it is a decision that is to be taken by individual states. This is fact very similar to how online gambling works in the country as well.
Both Sikkim and Goa have allowed online gambling leading to a resurgence in their economic activity.
Maharashtra on the other hand applies a blanket ban to online gambling and is the only state in the country to do so. When it comes to lotteries, places such as such as Kerala, Sikkim, and Maharashtra welcome lotteries with open arms but Karnataka and Tamil Nadu have completely banned them.
CHANGES IN INDIAN LOTTERY LAW
In the most recent update to the laws concerning lotteries, the Supreme Court in 2015 gave the power to all state governments to ban the sale of lottery tickets. 13 of the states came forward to make lotteries completely legal which include Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Goa, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Nagaland, Punjab, Sikkim and West Bengal.
Online lotteries make it possible for Indians to try out both national and international lotteries. You can read more about the different international lotteries that are available HERE.
This section will focus on Indian lotteries that have flourished over the years including Lotto Agent, Punjab lottery, Kerala lottery and Lotto 247.
LOTTO AGENT
Lotto Agent was envisioned as a premium service that would collate tickets from official lotteries around the world and make them available to the Indian masses. This dream turned into a reality in 2012 with the formation of Lotto Agent headquarters in Belize.
Over the years the business model has thrived with offices being set up in Australia, Spain, Italy and the United States. Only the most coveted lotteries from around the world were selected. The main criteria for selection was based on the size of the jackpot, the secondary prizes and the cost of buying a ticket.
Today Lotto Agent offers tickets from 20 international lotteries including Mega Millions, PowerBall, SuperLotto Plus, EuroMillions, EuroJackpot, BonoLoto, La Primitiva, El Gordo.
The sheer variety is just one reason for its success. Lotto Agent made sure to provide an easy to use platform for its users where they could obtain tickets for their desired lottery in a matter of minutes. Couple this with a stellar customer service team that works around the clock to answer any queries that you might have with regards to it product.
Buying tickets from Lotto Agent is a simple procedure. The first step involves visiting the Lotto Agent website and selecting an Indian lottery of your choice. Once you have done that, you fill out an online registration form and deposit the funds necessary to purchase the tickets.
Once the tickets have been bought, Lotto Agent will dispatch its ‘agents’ (excuse the pun) to purchase actual tickets for the game. Once they have bought the tickets, you will receive a scanned copy as proof of ownership. You will also receive an email confirming the purchase.
All of this is done in a discreet and timely manner making the overall experience as enjoyable as possible.
PLAYWIN LOTTERY
Started as an initiative by the Sikkim government in 2001, PlayWin has grown to be the biggest lottery company in India. It also holds the honour of being the first to allow online ticket sales. There are two prerequisites to purchasing a ticket at PlayWin.
First you need to be at least 18 years of age and second you need to be a resident of one of the following states – West Bengal, Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Maharashtra or Sikkim. If you fulfil these conditions, then you are allowed to take part in their following products –
Thunderball
This Indian lottery has seven prize tiers and a minimum first prize of Rs. 1 crore. In the even that the first prize is not claimed then it is rolled over to lower prize tiers. The draws for this lottery are announced every Tuesday on Zee Zing TV channel.
Jaldi 5 Double
If you have proven to be unlucky on a Tuesday, then you can always look forward to the draws for this lottery Zee 24 Taas TV channel on Wednesday. The jackpot is earned if you are able to match five numbers with the first prize a cool Rs.1 crore.
Thursday Super Lotto
As the name suggests, the draws take place on Zee Zing on Thursday with the first prize set at double the amount of the previous two lotteries. This lottery comes up with a roll over and can lay claim to the biggest lottery prize ever handed out at 17.2 crores. The prize was won by a scrap dealer from Kankurgachi going by the name of Jaiprakash Jaiswal.
Jaldi 5
The winners for this lotto are announced Zee 24 Taas channel on Fridays. It follows the identical prize structure to Jaldi 5 Double, but with doubled odds and halved prizes. This means the first prize is Rs. 500,000 instead of the 1 crore.
Saturday Super Lotto
Finishing off the Indian lottery week for PlayWin is the Saturday Super Lotto. The lotto has the same rules and odds as Thursday Super Lotto but with its own respective prize pools.
The winning numbers for all the five games are announced at the same time between 10 and 10:30pm. This can be subject to change depending on scheduling, so it always helps to double check the results on the PlayWin website.
PlayWin is extremely popular in India because it has managed to create trust amongst its player base. Indians trust the workings of this organisation along with the randomness of the results. The website along with the ability to buy a Playwin card from a lottery retailer means you can purchase tickets from your phone or via the website.
If you decide to purchase the tickets via a retailer, you are required to fill in the numbers you want to play on the lottery slip. Once you have made the selection, you hand the slip back to the retailer who will process it and provide you with a proof of purchase.
All of this is achieved only a matter of minutes and it is the convenience of playing a PlayWin lottery which also adds to its immense popularity.
PUNJAB LOTTERY
Started by a wing of the finance department of the Punjab government in 1968, Punjab lottery is the place to go if you are looking to win massive cash prizes. Every detail associated with the lottery is decided by the government including the name, time of drawing and the number of tissues that need to be issued.
While over the years the exact date of the draw has fluctuated, the number of tickets that are sold have remained the same. Having said that the Director of the Punjab Lottery has the authority to decrease or increase the number of tickets in each drawing after the game is announced.
As opposed to the PlayWin lotteries that are organised every day of the week (except Sunday), the Punjab lotteries are held on a monthly basis. As a result, the cash prizes are enormous can go high as 1.5 crores while the ticket prices are still within the reach of the common man.
The Punjab lotteries can be described as being seasonal and are usually organised around important events in the Indian calendar. Here is the complete list of Punjab lotteries that are held each year.
- Holi Bumper – Set just before the start of the festival, this Indian lottery continues during the event and has winners drawn in late March, soon after the last day of celebrations.
- Baisakhi Bumper – Set around the Sikh holiday of Baisakhi, the winners are announced in the middle of May.
- Rakhi Bumper – This high-prize lotto for RakshaBandhan draws winning numbers around late March.
- Punjab State Diwali Bumper – The arrival of autumn is celebrated with this lottery that usually takes place in November.
- New Year Lohri Bumper – As the name suggests, the drawing takes place in late January to celebrate the arrival of the new year
The Punjab bumper lotteries require you to fulfil one criterion to claim the jackpot. You are given a ticket with six spaces and are required to input these spaces with numbers that comprise the full hexadecimal range from 000000 to 999999.
If you have been lucky to input the precise combination, then you are awarded with the main prize. However, you are also rewarded for coming close the correct combination and can lower tier prizes with a typical range of 100 to 200 rupees.
As is the case with other types of lotteries on the list make sure that you choose a lottery agent from my list.
KERALA LOTTERIES
The Kerala State Lottery was started by the government once the private lotteries were outlawed in 1967. You can say that the state was a trail blazer when it comes to Indian lotteries which eventually led to many other states offering their own. Unlike the Punjab Lottery which occurs around special occasions, the Kerala lottery has daily draws. Each daily lottery has its own tiers of prizes and tickets can be bought for as little as Rs. 30.
Here are the seven lotteries offered by the Kerala State Lottery one for each day of the week –
- Win-Win – This winner of the lottery is announced on Monday and has prizes for the top 3 positions with the highest set at Rs. 65 lakhs.
- Sthree Sakthi – Drawn on a Tuesday, prizes are allocated for the top eight positions with the highest at Rs. 60 lakhs.
- Akshaya – Come halfway into the working week and the Wednesday lottery offers three tiers of prizes with the top capped at Rs. 60 lakhs. Winners for this game are announced every Wednesday, with three prize levels. The first prize is also 60 lakhs.
- Karunya Plus – Increasing the first prize to a whopping Rs.80 lakhs, the Thursday lottery offers three levels of prizes.
- Nirmal Weekly – Welcoming the close of the working week, the results are announced on a Friday with a total of seven prize tiers.
- Karunya – This lottery is announced on a Saturday and increase the first prize to an eye watering Rs.80 lakhs.
- Pournami – This is the last lottery of the week and has eight prize tiers with the first prize at Rs. 70 lakhs.
Kerala State Lottery Bumper Lotteries
In addition to the daily lotteries that are being offered by the State of Kerala they also offer bumper lotteries that are organised at different times of the year. Ticket prizes are more expensive and can go as high as Rs.200.
- Christmas & New Year – This lottery is run through the month of December with draws taking place in January. The first prize is set at Rs. 60 million.
- Summer – The lottery runs throughout the summer months and ends in March with a first prize of Rs. 40 million.
- Vishnu – Offering a top prize of Rs 5 crore, this lottery is run through Kerala’s spring holiday with draws taking place in May.
- Monsoon – At a first prize of Rs. 20 million, this lottery is held during the rainy season with draws announced in July.
- Thiruvonam – Increasing the value of the first prize to a whopping Rs. 100 million, this Indian lottery is held in the weeks leading up to the celebration of the Malayalam New Year with draws being held in September.
- Pooja – Following on the heels of the Thiruvonam bumper lottery, the draws are held in November with a top prize of Rs 40 million.
If you’d like to play the Kerala State Lottery, you’ll find more than 100,000 retailers and over 35,000 registered lottery agents where you can buy your tickets.
SIKKIM LOTTERIES
There are quite a few different types of lotteries being offered by the Sikkim government. These include Derby Weekly Scheme, Bigwin Jackpot and Jackpot Special schemes along with three Punjab Bumper lotteries.
Unlike the lotteries mentioned earlier, the government does have a habit of changing the schedules on short notice. The bumper lotteries are scheduled to supplement the smaller weekly lotteries.
Also, as per the laws, the bumper drawings are limited to a maximum of six times a year.
The Dear Morning Lottery Scheme takes place daily and gives punters a chance to win Rs.25 lakh every day! Tickets for the scheme can be bought from any authorised dealer. You will need to make sure that you sign the ticket and include the address on the back of it so that no one else can claim your prize.
FAMOUS JACKPOT WINNERS IN INDIA
If you’d like to play the Kerala State Lottery, you’ll find more than 100,000 retailers and over 35,000 registered lottery agents where you can buy your tickets.
Quite a few jackpots in India have been awarded to customers from humble beginnings. Harikumar from Bangalore was such an individual who played the Thiruvonam Bumper lottery and won 6 crores! However instead of retiring he continued to operate his tea shop. The winnings were used to improve the shop and also to send his children to better schools.
Another great story can be found in the win for Rahima Sheikh. Originally from West Bengal, Sheikh had travelled to Kerala in search for a job. His aim was to secure a job, save enough money to be able to buy a house for his family. Working on a construction site for Rs.50 a day, he purchased the winning ticket on his way home and found three days later that he had won Rs. 1 crore!
BIGGEST JACKPOT WIN IN INDIA
The town of Kankurgachi can lay claim to one of the biggest jackpot winners in India. The winning ticket in question was purchased by Jaiprakash Jaiswal, a scrap dealer who bought the ticket unknowing that his life was set to change.
Jaiswal bought the ticket from a local PlayWin counter and woke up the next morning to find that he had won Rs. 17 crores! He expressed the desire to set up his own business but was understandably still trying to come to terms with the win.
