List of States in India Where Lotteries Are Legal: The Official 2025 List

Did you know that lotteries in India date back more than 50 years?
What started as a small welfare initiative in Kerala has now grown into a ₹50,000-crore-a-year industry, spanning 13 Indian states.

While gambling and private lotteries are banned in most parts of the country, state-run lotteries are perfectly legal under the Lotteries (Regulation) Act, 1998 — provided they are organized by the state government itself.

Each of these 13 states runs its own lottery department, with different draw schedules, ticket prices, and bumper events. From Kerala’s famous Onam Bumper to Punjab’s Diwali Bumper, these lotteries have become both a source of hope for citizens and an important stream of revenue for state welfare programs.

🎯 TL;DR:
Only 13 states in India legally conduct government lotteries.
These lotteries are run by state departments, follow strict regulations, and hold draws daily, weekly, or during festivals to fund welfare schemes.

What Are State Lotteries in India?

A state lottery in India is a government-organized lottery — officially run, printed, and managed by a state’s Directorate of Lotteries.
Unlike private or online gambling sites, these lotteries are completely legal because they are conducted by the government itself and the revenue goes directly to the state treasury.

🎯 Purpose of State Lotteries

The main aim is not just entertainment — it’s public welfare.
State lotteries help generate non-tax revenue that funds projects such as:

• Education and scholarships
• Health and housing schemes
• Infrastructure and employment programs
• Disaster relief and social security initiatives

For example, Kerala — India’s first state to launch a lottery in 1967 — uses its lottery profits to support the Karunya Benevolent Fund, which provides financial aid for medical treatments of the poor.

⚖️ Legal Foundation

The legality of lotteries in India is governed by the Lotteries (Regulation) Act, 1998 and Lotteries (Regulation) Rules, 2010.
Under this law:

• Only state governments can organize, promote, or conduct lotteries.
• States can ban or permit lotteries within their own boundaries.
• A state cannot sell its lottery tickets in another state where lotteries are banned.
• All draws must be held publicly and under government supervision.

So, while states like Kerala, Nagaland, and Punjab conduct lotteries openly, others like Tamil Nadu, Delhi, and Bihar have banned them altogether.

💡 Key Takeaway

State lotteries are legal, transparent, and socially beneficial.
They are designed to generate funds for welfare — not to promote gambling — and are monitored strictly by state authorities to prevent fraud or manipulation.

List of States Where Lottery Is Legal in India (2025–26)

As of 2025, only 13 Indian states officially run and regulate government lotteries.
These lotteries are managed by each state’s Directorate of Lotteries, under the supervision of finance or taxation departments.

Every state has its own ticket design, draw frequency, and prize scheme — but all share one purpose:
🎯 To raise funds for public welfare through a transparent, government-controlled lottery system.

Below is the updated list with essential details 👇

🗂️ Table: Legal State Lotteries in India (2025–26)

💡 Note: Ticket prices, draw frequency, and bumper schedules may vary by year and series. Always confirm via the official state portal before purchasing.

🇮🇳 Short Introduction to Each State Lottery

🎟️ Kerala State Lottery

The first government lottery in India, started in 1967, and still the most transparent.
Kerala conducts 7 weekly draws and 6 bumper draws each year — including the famous Onam Bumper and Christmas–New Year Bumper.
Profits support the Karunya Benevolent Fund, helping medical patients.

Also read, Kerala BR-107 Christmas–New Year Bumper 2025–26: ₹20 Crore Mega Prize Revealed

🎯 Nagaland State Lottery

Introduced in 1972, Nagaland’s “Dear Lottery” runs three draws daily — Morning (1 PM), Evening (6 PM), and Night (8 PM). This is the most widely distributed lottery. Its draws are sold nationwide in all states where lotteries are permitted. It is famous for the “Lottery Sambad” name.

Nagaland regularly conducts Bumper Lotteries throughout the year, often tied to major Indian festivals and holidays (e.g., Dear Diwali Bumper, Dear Puja Bumper, Dear Christmas & New Year Bumper). These bumper draws usually have a much larger first prize, often going up to ₹5 Crores or more.

🪙 Punjab State Lottery

Started in 1968, Punjab runs monthly and bumper lotteries, especially during festivals like Diwali and New Year.
Known for high-value prizes — recent Diwali Bumper winners have taken home over ₹11 crore!

Also read, Punjab State Dear Lohri Makar Sankranti Bumper 2026 – Draw on Jan 17, Win up to ₹10 Crore

🏞️ Sikkim State Lottery

Launched in 1978, Sikkim organizes weekly and festival draws under strict regulation.
Tickets are affordable, and part of the proceeds fund education and tourism development.

Sikkim State Lottery offers both regular daily draws and special bumper draws for major festivals and events.

The state government conducts both traditional paper lotteries (8 types) and online lotteries (16 types). The online games are played through terminals within the state.

🏖️ Goa State Lottery

The Goa State Lottery was established in 1995, with the Directorate of State Lotteries formed on February 23, 1995 to oversee its organization and promotion. In 2006, the Directorate merged with the National Savings Organization to become the Directorate of Small Savings and Lotteries.

Goa is actively transitioning and promoting a modern lottery system. It runs extensive paper lotteries (Rajshree Series) and has also launched one of India’s first fully tech-based online lottery systems (“Great Goa Games”).

🏙️ Maharashtra State Lottery

Founded in 1969, Maharashtra’s lottery offers weekly draws and special bumpers. It was launched with the explicit objective of curbing illegal gambling (like Matka) and providing a trustworthy, government-run alternative while raising funds for the state.

Maharashtra government conducts a draw on all the week days except on three national holidays. This includes 27 weekly draws and 5 Monthly draws and 6 yearly bumper draws.

🌿 Mizoram State Lottery

The Mizoram State Lottery formally began with the introduction of the Mizoram State On-Line Lottery (Regulation) Rules in 2006, which came into force as per the official notification published in the Mizoram Gazette on May 12, 2006.

However, lottery draws in Mizoram were being conducted as early as 1989, with records indicating weekly lotteries such as the “Mizo Lakshmi Weekly Lottery” held since November 24, 1989. Thus, the lottery system in Mizoram has roots dating back to the late 1980s, with formal regulation and online lottery frameworks established in 2006 for structured governance and modernization.

☁️ Meghalaya State Lottery

Meghalaya State Lottery revolutionized the lottery sector in India by launching EasyLottery.in in September 2024, the country’s first fully digital lottery platform. This platform offers a top prize of ₹50 crore, with tickets priced at ₹5,000 each, and is designed to ensure complete transparency, efficiency, and security in ticket purchases, draws, and prize disbursals.

Meghalaya’s government emphasized responsible gaming by implementing measures to temporarily suspend accounts showing addictive behavior and introduced a non-transferable ticket policy to prevent money laundering and ensure rightful prize ownership.

This digital lottery initiative not only modernizes traditional lottery practices but also aims to significantly boost state revenue through GST collection while providing a secure and fair lottery experience to citizens. The initiative reflects Meghalaya’s commitment to combining technology and governance to enhance public trust and welfare outcomes from lottery proceeds.​

🏔️ Arunachal Pradesh State Lottery

The Arunachal State Lottery runs one of the most active lottery systems in India, conducting draws three times every day. Each draw follows the popular ‘Singam’ series, with a first prize of ₹26.03 lakhs, along with several smaller prizes ranging from ₹120 to ₹9,500. Tickets are priced affordably at ₹6, making them accessible to people across the state. These official tickets are sold through authorised vendors in Arunachal Pradesh, ensuring transparency and regulated participation for all players.

The draws are held daily in Itanagar, and each day features a uniquely named Singam draw series—such as Singam Stack on Saturdays and Singam Heap on Fridays. Apart from the names, all key elements like prize structure, ticket price, and draw timing remain the same throughout the week. Arunachal conducts three draws every day: a morning draw at 10:55 AM, an afternoon draw at 3:00 PM, and an evening draw at 7:00 PM. This consistent schedule makes it easy for participants to follow results and take part regularly.

Arunachal Pradesh State Lottery also organizes a bumper lottery called the Saraswati Puja Bumper lottery. Each lottery ticket costs Rs. 500 and you can also buy multiple tickets.

🕊️ Manipur State Lottery

Manipur State Lottery offers multiple lottery schemes with draws conducted three times daily: morning draw at 11:00am, a day (or noon) draw at 3:00pm, and an evening draw at 7:00pm.  Tickets cost around ₹6 and each draw features a grand prize of approximately ₹27 lakh, with additional consolation prizes for runners-up. The lottery uses unique ticket codes for identification, combining numbers and letters.

🌆 West Bengal State Lottery

West Bengal State Lottery organizes multiple lottery schemes including four Weekly Draws viz., Bangabhumi Super Draw, Bangasree Super Draw, Bangalakshmi Draw (twice in a month) organized in a month. Apart from these Weekly draws, six bumper draws in festivals viz., New Year Bumper, Nababarsha Bumper, Holi Bumper, Rathayatra Bumper, Puja Bumper and Diwali Bumper are conducted.

The price (MRP) of the Bi- Weekly draw of Lottery ticket is Rs.2/- for Bangalakshmi draw, Rs.5/- for Bangabhumi Super draw and Rs.10/- for Bangasree Super draw. The price of tickets of Bumper Draws is usually Rs.20/-.

🏛️ Madhya Pradesh State Lottery

Madhya Pradesh has a unique history with lotteries. The state initially had government-run lottery draws starting from 1970, but then imposed a ban on paper-based offline lottery schemes around 1993. Recently, on August 23, 2021, the state government officially lifted the ban, legally allowing lottery schemes under the Lotteries (Regulation) Act, 1998.

However, as of now, Madhya Pradesh does not have an active government-run paper-based lottery scheme. Residents of Madhya Pradesh can participate in lotteries only through international online lottery platforms, which are not state-run but legally accessible. These international draws offer large jackpots, some exceeding ₹100 crore.

🌄 Assam State Lottery

Assam lottery primarily operates through the Bodoland Lottery, which is a state-regulated and government-approved lottery system. The Bodoland Lottery offers multiple daily draws, usually at 12 PM, 3 PM, and 7 PM IST with different series like Singam, Kuil, Rosa, Deer, and more, featuring prize tiers from ₹50 up to first prizes of ₹1 lakh or sometimes higher, with some series offering prizes up to ₹1 crore.

⭐ Conclusion

Lotteries in India may seem confusing at first, but the rules are actually very clear. Only 13 states legally run government lotteries (with Himachal joining soon – 14 states), and each of them follows strict guidelines under the Lotteries (Regulation) Act, 1998. These states use lottery revenue to support welfare programs like healthcare, education, housing, and public development.

Whether it’s Kerala’s weekly draws, Nagaland’s three-times-a-day Dear Lottery, or Punjab’s festive bumper tickets, each state has created its own system, schedule, and prize structure. What remains common across all states is transparency, government monitoring, and a focus on public benefit.

If you live in a state where lottery is legal, remember to buy tickets only from authorised sellers and always check results on official websites. And if your state does not permit lotteries, playing or purchasing tickets from outside sources is not allowed.

Lottery can be exciting, but it should always be approached with awareness and responsibility.
Use it as entertainment—not income—and stay away from fake calls, scam websites, or unofficial ticket sellers.