Online gaming bans do not apply to rummy or poker...?
The tamil Nadu Prohibition of Online Gambling and Regulation of Online Games Act, 2022 was partially maintained by the madras high court on Thursday. However, the court decided that the state government could only outlaw games of chance and not those of skill, like poker and rummy.
The ruling was made by a bench consisting of Chief Justice sv Gangapurwala and Justice PD Audikesavalu in response to a number of petitions that the All india gambling Federation and various online gambling companies filed contesting the Act's constitutionality. The bench declared, "It is negated that the entire impugned Act of 2022 be declared ultra vires." "The contested Act's Schedule, which includes the rummy and poker games, is set aside."
The court made the observation that the state must be aware of the online game providers operating inside its borders and that they are not participating in any lottery-style games. "The state may take action if it discovers the use of bots or other questionable practices in the play of rummy and poker," the court said, granting the state the authority to establish acceptable guidelines for the age and time limits for playing online games.
The court stated that the state lacks the ability to regulate online games of skill, even while it is competent to enact laws that forbid internet gambling, or games of chance.
On october 19, 2022, the state legislative assembly unanimously approved the tamil Nadu Prohibition of Online Games Bill. The Public Gambling Act of 1867 is the only law that governs gambling in india at the moment. This statute establishes that state legislatures may create their own laws by enacting the 1867 Act.
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