Betting is entertainment you pay for, not a way to earn a living. Most people who bet over a long period lose more than they win. If you keep that in mind, set limits before you start, and stop when the limits say stop, betting stays a game. This page covers how to do that, and how to take a break or shut your ID with a single message.
18+ only
No ID is set up for anyone under 18, and KYC is how we check. Parents: keep UPI apps and banking behind a lock your children don't know, and don't hand over a phone with payment apps logged in.
State laws vary
Each Indian state writes its own rules on betting, and those rules get revised. In some states online betting is not allowed at all. Find out what applies in your state before you play. If it isn't allowed for you, don't play.
Set limits before you play
- A money limit. Decide a weekly or monthly amount you can lose without touching rent, food, fees or EMIs. When it's gone, you're done until the next period.
- A time limit. Decide how many matches or how many hours, not "till it turns around".
- A stop rule for bad days. After a set number of losing bets in a row, close the app for the day.
- Never borrow to bet. Not from friends, not from loan apps, not against your salary.
- Never chase. Doubling the stake to win back a loss is the fastest way to lose everything.
Take a break or self-exclude by message
You can step away at any time, and you don't have to explain why. Send one message on your WhatsApp thread:
- "Pause my ID" for a break of the length you choose. New deposits stop for that period.
- "Close my ID" to self-exclude. We close the ID and won't set up a new one for you.
Either way, any balance you are owed is paid out to your own account through the normal withdrawal process. Nobody will try to talk you out of it.
Warning signs
- You bet more than you planned, more often than you planned.
- You hide your betting, or how much you've lost, from people close to you.
- You bet to win back losses, or to escape stress.
- Bills, work, studies or sleep are suffering.
- You feel restless or irritable when you try to stop.
If even one of these sounds familiar, take a break first and decide later.
Getting help
Talk to someone you trust, or to a doctor or counsellor. Tele-MANAS, the Government of India's free mental-health helpline, can be found by searching its name, and they can help when betting starts to weigh on your mind. You can also contact the desk to pause or close your ID while you get support.
More on how the service works is in our terms and on the about page.