Casinos in Sikkim

Sikkim is the quiet exception in Indian gambling law: a small state that built its own licensing regime, for physical casinos and, uniquely, for certain online games played within the state.

Sikkim’s own licensing regime

Sikkim regulates casinos under its own state legislation and has historically operated an online licensing regime restricted to intra-state play through licensed premises. That regime is limited in scope and quite different from the offshore online market.

Sikkim’s online licensing history is often cited in coverage of Indian gambling law, and it is worth understanding what it does and does not permit before drawing conclusions from it. The state-by-state guide sets it beside Nagaland’s skill-gaming licence, the other state regime people cite.

Hotel gaming rooms around Gangtok

The casino floors are inside hotels in and around Gangtok, at a scale far below Goa: a few dozen tables and machines rather than a few hundred. The atmosphere is closer to a hotel gaming room than to a resort casino.

Roulette, blackjack, baccarat, electronic gaming and Indian card tables, with limits aimed at tourists rather than high rollers. Rules and edges for each: Teen Patti, Andar Bahar, blackjack, roulette and baccarat.

Getting there, and what slows you down

• Casinos are attached to hotels in the Gangtok area rather than standing alone.
• Altitude and weather affect travel: the approach from Bagdogra can be slow in monsoon.
• Photo ID is required, and permits apply to some border areas of the state.
• Floors are small, so a busy evening genuinely fills them.

The eastern option

For most of India, Goa is nearer in practice. For Kolkata it is the other way round: Sikkim is the licensed jurisdiction closest to the city, by road from Bagdogra. Delhi readers without a Goa trip planned sometimes look here too, though it is a flight either way.

Frequently asked questions

Editorial desk, IndiaCasino365 · page reviewed 2026-08-18 · how we test