Yes, in the Indian context, opinion trading is largely regarded as a type of gambling. Although it is marketed by some apps such as Probo as trading or prediction, it is considered illegal betting in India.
Check out the main legal reasons why the game of opinion trading is considered gambling under Indian law right below.
Is skills or chance the better bet in the Big Test?
Under Indian law, there are two types of real money games:
Games of Skill: They are the games that are won based on your logic, knowledge and strategy (such as Rummy and Fantasy Sports). These are legal and completely legal.
Games of Chance: These are games in which the odds of winning are very significant and rely on luck (such as betting on a coin toss). They are considered to be gambling and are prohibited.
Opinion trading apps give you the opportunity to trade in opinions on whether a cricket team will post 50 runs in the next 5 overs. The apps say that you must conduct wide research to make these guesses which make it a game of skill.
However, government officials say that despite thorough investigation you will never be able to predict the future. As the win depends on an unpredictable event, authorities call it gambling.
The Total Ban of 2025
The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025, was all the time settlement in the matter of debate. This law prohibited apps where money exchanges were made based on an uncertain future.
Opinion trading is a process that needs gamble of real money on what may or may not come true. This is the reason why it was in this ban. In today’s times, using these apps can result in very high fines (upto ₹1 crore) and imprisonment of upto 3 years.
Action by State Governments
Even prior to the 2025 ban, individual states have enacted legislation to prevent these apps:
- The Public Gambling Act (1867): Police used this old law to file criminal cases against these platforms for promoting public betting.
- State Rules: States like Tamil Nadu, Haryana and Chhattisgarh changed their local laws to target prediction apps.
The officials claimed opinion trading is nothing more than a new word for actual money betting. These laws were used to freeze the money of these companies, block apps on the internet and raid the offices of these companies.