Is Howzat a Legal Game to Play?

Yes. Howzat Fantasy Cricket is 100% legal to play anywhere in India, except in the states of Assam, Telangana, Nagaland, Sikkim, and Andhra Pradesh. Fantasy sports are considered to be games of skill, and playing skill games online is not betting or gambling at all. Fantasy Cricket is a skill game because in this game a Player/User does not just pick any one team, but rather uses their knowledge of the game and cricket skills to select the players of their own choice to build a highest-scoring team. So on Howzat.com, and other sites hosting fantasy games, a User is NOT betting or gambling on the outcome of a match but choosing players who represent the User’s own cricket/sport team. The User’s team competes with the teams of other Users, who are all usually sports fans, to determine whose knowledge of and skills in the game are the best. For further details, please check out our Terms and Conditions, Privacy Policy and FAQs.
You may also refer to the Public Gambling Act, 1867, of India, which expressly confirms that playing 'Games of Skill,' such as Howzat Fantasy Cricket, is legal in India and NOT gambling.

The Supreme Court of India, in the cases of State of Andhra Pradesh v. K Satyanarayana (AIR 1968 SC 825), and KR Lakshmanan v. State of Tamil Nadu (AIR 1996 SC 1153), has held that a game in which success depends predominantly upon the superior knowledge, training, attention, experience and adroitness of the player shall be classified as a game of skill.

All Contests provided by Howzat are games of skill as Participants’ success in these Games/Contests depends primarily on their superior knowledge of the games of cricket and/or football and/or kabaddi statistics, knowledge of players' relative form, players' performance in a particular territory, playing conditions and/or format (such as ODIs, Test Cricket and Twenty20 in fantasy cricket), attention and dedication to the Contests in which they are participating and adroitness in playing the Contests. The Contests also require Participants to field well-balanced teams using limited resources and make substitutions at appropriate times to get the highest points.

People who reside in the states where the law on Games of Skill is unclear can play only free Fantasy Cricket games on Howzat, not cash games.