Fines Replace Jail Terms In Odisha for Gambling Offences

Fines replace jail terms in Odisha, following the update of older laws. Minimum fines are now 500x larger than previously.

Gambling laws have been on the agenda in the eastern Indian state of Odisha. As one of many sweeping changes to current legislation, anyone convicted of breaking gambling laws will no longer have to worry about the threat of jail time. It has been removed as a possible punishment, with larger fines being added instead.

However, we should warn that breaking those laws is still not something we’d advise, considering those fines are now 500x the size they were previously. As we’ve previously covered, all forms of online gambling were banned in India following the passing of the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill 2025 in August this year.

When Were the Laws Passed?

The Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill 2025 is in its final stages, with sixteen changes to current legislation having been pushed through. Gambling laws under the Prevention of Gambling Act were one of those, alongside others across areas in the state, such as labour, urban governance, agriculture and health and trade.

Under the bill, those found guilty will now be punished using a graded fine structure, with fines offered instantly and without the need to go through the state’s court system.

Source: This news has been covered by many major outlets, including The Times of India.

An Update to Outdated Rules

Primarily, the laws were changed to bring them up to speed with modern times and to ease pressure on the state’s court system. Rather than clogging up the system with minor offences, offenders are now given automatic fines, freeing the court to handle more serious crimes.

The state says that this update to existing laws will ease pressure on the state’s court system, while still providing enough of a deterrent for those considering breaking the law. The fines, which are at least 500 times larger than they were before, are also seen as a fit punishment.

Under previous laws, those caught gambling would spend at least a month in jail and face a fine starting at ₹100 ($1), with more serious crimes resulting in up to six months behind bars and fines of at least ₹1,000 ($11). However, while time in a cell has been taken off the menu, fines have been massively increased. The minimum those found guilty will face is ₹5,000 ($55), with maximum fines set at ₹75,000 (around $800).

In short, many could argue that the punishment is more severe but without the need to go through the courts.

Opposition Raises Offshore Gambling Concerns

This update has not come without opposition, with many believing it is not severe enough. Those against the ruling state that this could allow online gambling to spread further, as the fear of imprisonment is now removed. Despite India cracking down on offshore gambling, the opposition believes there are still many sites that accept registrations from Indian nationals, which is where those who want to gamble will now go, knowing they will not face jail time.