CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu government has banned online gambling after state governor R N Ravi gave his assent to the Bill. A gazette notification would follow the Governor’s approval of the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Online Gambling and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill.
A few hours later, Chief Minister M. K. Stalin declared in the House that the passage of the anti-online gambling Law by Governor Ravi was a positive result of the Assembly’s resolution. The announcement in the gazette would be published today, he said. The law prohibiting internet gambling in Tamil Nadu is expected to take effect after the notification.
What is covered by Tamil Nadu’s prohibition on online gaming?: It is against the law in the state to promote internet gambling or the use of money or other stakes to play games of chance online. Poker and rummy are the specific internet games of chance.
Tamil Nadu has a law that makes it illegal to play online games with money or other stakes. Anybody caught playing these games will face a maximum three-month prison sentence, a fine of Rs. 5,000, or both as punishment.
The penalty for encouraging others to engage in internet gambling or games of chance is up to one year in prison, a fine up to Rs. 5 lakh, or both.
Any anyone who conducts online gambling activities, such as playing poker and rummy for money or other stakes, would be punished by up to three years in prison, a fine up to Rs. 10 lakh, or both.
The government passed an ordinance banning internet gambling last year in response to public anger over the practise, which led to some people taking their own lives after being deeply indebted and losing a lot of money playing such games.
Governor Ravi enacted the ordinance (forbidding wager-based online games of chance like rummy and poker) on October 1, 2022, and the government published a gazette notification on October 3. However, on October 19 of last year, the Assembly approved and forwarded to the Governor a Bill to replace the Ordinance.
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