Express News Service

CHENNAI: Amid pressure piling up, Governor RN Ravi finally gave in and accorded his assent to the online gambling ban Bill. The governor’s decision came shortly after the state assembly passed a resolution demanding Centre’s intervention over the governor delaying giving his assent to the bills. 

According to Article 200 of the Constitution, the governor has no other option but to give his assent to a Bill when it is sent by the state assembly for the second time. 

It may be recalled that after a gap of 141 days, the governor returned the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Online Gambling and Regulation of Online Games Bill, 2022 on March 6 along with a note about his reservations over the Bill particularly questioning the legislative competence of the State Assembly to enact such legislation. This evoked strong criticisms from the State Law Minister S Regupathy and leaders of other political parties.  

The Chief Minister said the State Assembly indeed has the competence to enact such legislation and that the Madras High Court had already affirmed this point.