No, scalping tickets is illegal in India under the Lotteries (Regulation) Act, 1998 and state-specific anti-scalping laws, with penalties including fines and imprisonment. The Consumer Protection Act, 2019 further prohibits unfair trade practices, while the Information Technology Act, 2000 addresses digital scalping. Recent 2026 draft amendments to the Lotteries Act propose stricter penalties, including up to 3 years imprisonment for repeat offenders.
Key Regulations for Scalping Tickets in India
- Lotteries (Regulation) Act, 1998: Prohibits resale of lottery tickets above face value, classifying scalping as a punishable offense under Section 12.
- State-Specific Anti-Scalping Laws: States like Maharashtra (Maharashtra Lotteries (Regulation) Rules, 2010) and Karnataka (Karnataka Lotteries (Regulation) Act, 2010) impose additional restrictions, including mandatory licensing for authorized sellers.
- Consumer Protection Act, 2019: Deems scalping an unfair trade practice under Section 35, empowering state consumer commissions to penalize violators with fines up to ₹10 lakh.
Enforcement is primarily handled by state police and the Lottery Directorate under the Ministry of Finance. Digital scalping via e-commerce platforms falls under the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA)‘s purview, which has issued advisories against third-party ticket resale platforms. The 2026 amendments to the Lotteries Act aim to harmonize state laws and introduce stricter penalties for online scalping, including platform liability.