Background: Gliomas are the most common type of primary brain tumor in adults, and the X-ray repair complementing group 1 gene (XRCC1) is an important candidate gene influencing its risk. The objective of this study was to detect the influence of XRCC1 genetic polymorphisms on glioma risk. Materials and Methods: A total of 629 glioma patients and 641 cancer-free subjects were enrolled in this case-control study. The genotypes of the c.1471G>A genetic polymorphism were determined by created restriction site-polymerase chain reaction (CRS-PCR) and DNA sequencing methods. The influence of the XRCC1 genetic polymorphism on glioma risk was evaluated by association analysis. Results: Our data indicated that the alleles/genotype of this genetic variant was statistically associated with glioma risk. The AA genotype was statistically associated with the increased risk of glioma compared to the GG wild genotype (odds ratios (OR) = 1.89, 95% CI 1.25-2.87, P = 0.003). The allele-A may contribute to increased the susceptibility to glioma (OR = 1.23, 95% CI 1.04-1.46, P = 0.017). Conclusions: These preliminary findings indicate that the c.1471G>A genetic polymorphism of XRCC1 has the potential to influence glioma susceptibility, and might be used as molecular marker for assessing glioma risk.