There have been many international gambling companies planning to enter India. The Indian subcontinent is known to be one of the largest markets in the world for consumer goods and services. It is because of this that there are international gambling companies planning to enter India.

Unfortunately, till now the international gambling companies planning to enter India have not had the opportunity to put their foot in the door. Most of the international gambling companies planning to enter India, have been waiting for the government to make any specific legislations which could open up the market to international players. These international gambling companies planning to enter India have had to wait for a long time, since the gambling laws of India can at best be described as ancient.

While there are many international gambling companies planning to enter India, there are two states which have already encouraged Indian entrepreneurs to enter into the gambling scenario. Though this move opens up the gambling market a little for international gambling companies planning to enter India, there are still no specific ways in which these international companies can make their base in India.

Some of the biggest betting companies in Britain have showed interest in running their own facilities in India for quite some time. That there is a market for online gambling and other betting games in India, is no secret. The illegal gambling industry of India is estimated to make an annual turnover of around USD 60 Billion. Seeing how there is enough to go around for all biggies in India, the high street bookies like William Hill and Ladbrokes are also interested in getting a piece of the action along with the other international gambling companies planning to enter India.

There are other huge internet players like Bwin and Betfair, who have also been waiting to get their own chance at setting up something in India. These international gambling companies planning to enter India have had a long wait. However it seems that their wait might soon be over. Earlier in the year, the North Eastern state of Sikkim announced a bidding for three licenses for online casinos to international gambling companies planning to enter India. These companies have been given a window of opportunity to enter into a market which is ripe for the picking.

By then end of the year 2010, India would have had their first international online casino operators, offering their services in Sikkim, and perhaps the rest of the country. While the ancient legislation of Indian Gambling Act of 1864 is still enforced, this is a window of opportunity for the international gambling companies planning to enter India. Offering services to Sikkim may not be very profitable as the state’s population is not much and the per capita income is also not much to boast of. However, in an event that the government legalizes gambling, even if with some statutory restrictions, the gambling circuit of India will fall open to the international gambling companies planning to enter India. This would be an advantage for the international gambling companies planning to enter India, who have already set up shop in India by winning the bids for opening online casino services in Sikkim.

The demand for online gambling in India is apparent by seeing that 13 international gambling companies planning to enter India, operating online casinos in different parts of the world, came forward to bid. This means that there are many international gambling companies planning to enter India and that there is much demand for gambling within the country itself.

For the licenses in Sikkim, bookies like Ladbrokes and 888 casino have also considered to bid. This scenario, despite the common knowledge that internet penetration in India continues to remain rather low, is something to be cheerful about.

The international gambling companies planning to enter India are also hoping that once the other states see the revenues and the taxes generated by these online casinos in Sikkim, they too will want to have increased participation in the online casino industry. The more densely populated and affluent states are therefore soon to follow suit.

It seems that even though for the time being license holders will only be able to promote their services in Sikkim, they will get an opportunity to increase their gamut of services to the rest of the world as well. The government is trying to set a precedent by forcing the international gambling companies planning to enter India, to partner with Indian promoters and operators to launch joint ventures in the country. Though some of the international gambling companies planning to enter India, like Ladbrokes, are facing difficulties in finding the right kind of partners for this kind of an arrangement, there are others who have already made their partnerships and are ready to service the population of 1.2 Billion.
William Hill, one of the largest online betting companies, with a large network of bookies, is one of those international gambling companies planning to enter India, that have found a potential partner in the form of Sikkim based Global Torrent International.

Another peer to peer betting exchange company – Betfair, is trying to partner with an Indian associate named Agilisys Managed Services. Bwin is another such online casino biggie, and one of the international gambling companies planning to enter India, who have found their local associates.

Till date the only legal betting and gambling activities allowed in the country are betting on horseracing. There is not much scope for the entrance of international gambling companies planning to enter India in these areas. Some of these largest horse racing betting services are provided in the larger metros of the country, with the lead taken by the Polo Grounds in New Delhi. In the black markets, cricket continues to be the number one sport on which people from all over the world are betting. Illegal sports betting continue to be the number one attraction for bettors in India. With the promotion of these international gambling companies planning to enter India, the illegal outfits may finally be brought to the book.