Are you asking yourself about the legality of playing Kolkata FF and where you can play this type of lottery? Read the following article where we will speak about the legality of this betting and share some details about this lottery!
Kolkata FF Features
It is a lottery type where you have to select numbers and wait for their drawing known as bazi. What is interesting about it is that there is no governmental regulation of this lottery which makes it an unauthorized one as opposite to other types of games regulated by laws. Unlike other games of this kind, Kolkata FF is not regulated.
A great number of draws take place daily and their results become publicized. Among the advantages of this game is a quick publication of results after each draw.
| Aspect | West Bengal State Lottery (Legal) | Kolkata FF (Unauthorized) |
|---|---|---|
| Organizer | Government of West Bengal | Private operators |
| Legal Authorization | Officially regulated and notified in Official Gazette | No government approval or notification |
| Compliance | Follows Lotteries Regulation Act 1998 and Rules 2010 | Does not meet central lottery law requirements |
| Draw Frequency | Limited draws as per regulations (max 24 per day across schemes) | Typically 8 rounds daily |
| Result Publication | Published through official government channels with audit requirements | Shared via private websites, apps, and messaging groups |
| Legal Status | Fully legal and regulated | Legally grey/unauthorized under existing laws |
Legislation Related to Lottery
Lotteries Regulation Act 1998 and Lotteries Regulation Rules 2010 stipulate how one can organize games of chance including notifying about them in Official Gazette, prize structure, standardizing lottery tickets and publishing of results with audit. On the contrary, Kolkata FF lottery fails to meet these regulations.
West Bengal Gambling and Prize Competitions Act 1957 says that organization of gaming house is illegal and prohibitory actions should be taken if there are cases of violating state law in organizing such games. Therefore, Kolkata FF is also considered an unauthorized lottery.
Difference between Central and State Gambling Acts
According to Public Gambling Act 1867, opening of gambling house is illegal; also, this Act distinguishes games of chance from games of skill so each state may regulate gambling separately pursuant to Indian Constitution. Hence, state gambling laws may be applied in each state separately; therefore, in West Bengal, games of chance are allowed to be arranged by State bodies.
ITIGDMEC amendments 2021 introduced in April 2023 define the notion of “permissible online real money game” and prohibit organizing and promoting gambling games or games involving wagering of money sums; furthermore, prohibition on operating gambling websites was announced which means that future of Kolkata FF websites looks doubtful.
Reasons for Unlawful Gambling Activities
Having considered the above information about this gambling, you see that it cannot be called the lottery organized by state authorities in accordance with lottery laws in West Bengal. However, the question arises why there are so many people who play Kolkata FF without any sign of its authorization by the government. Here you will find some explanation for this issue.
- Notification of the Game: If the lottery in question is not announced as lottery game in the Official Gazette, it means that it is not legal since it needs to be authorized.
- Private Organizers of the Game: Instead of organizing such games by State, private organizations make them which is a breach of law regarding state gambling.
- Violating of Regulations: Kolkata FF fails to comply with Lottery rules of 2010 by not establishing prize structure and standardizing lottery tickets, also it does not publish results through government channels.
- Number of Draws Permitted: There are no more than 24 state lottery draws a day but in Kolkata FF there are 8 drawings a day.
- Games of Chance: Players may improve their skills at predicting number drawings, however, luck is crucial in drawing and, thus, such lottery falls into category of games of chance.
- Permissible Online Games: In case if a person wagers online money on lottery games, it means that he or she violates provisions on permissible online games according to IT Rules.
Possible Dangers and Sanctions
In turn, a risk associated with such lottery is that a player loses all his/her money while playing because the chances of winning are minimal. Also, gambling addiction is a serious problem when talking about this lottery because of its huge number of games and quick delivery of results; furthermore, one might be imprisoned during police raid at gaming centers but not always.
- Checking Notification in Official Gazette: You should check whether the game is announced in the Official Gazette based on Lotteries Regulation Act 1998 and Lotteries Regulation Rules 2010.
- Authorized by the State: You should clarify whether the game is organized by the State in order to find out whether it is authorized state lottery scheme.
- Checking Certification of the Results: There are supposed to be some official documents certifying that results of lottery are published through government channels but there is no such thing as certification of results on pages of Kolkata Fatafat.
- Checking Whether Drawing Regulations are Violated: This game should meet the requirements as for prize structure, frequency of draws and printing standards and, also, lottery law should not be violated (such as the number of lottery drawings a day).
- Avoid Visiting Websites and Applications: Do not visit sites and apps providing this type of lottery game because it involves betting of results.
- Following Ministry of Information & Broadcasting Advisories: It means that lottery must not contradict prohibitions mentioned in these advisories regarding gambling and betting.
Recent News about Lottery
To conclude, it might be mentioned that recently it was found out that Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill 2025 has been adopted by Parliament and will come into force upon receipt of presidential assent. Besides, advertisement bans will accompany introduction of this law which means that there will be more actions to be taken regarding Kolkata FF in the near future!
The safest way of playing lotteries in West Bengal is arranging games organized by governmental bodies complying with lottery laws, guidelines and notifications issued in the Official Gazette.
