Madras HC strikes down provisions to ban online gaming; companies cheer

Chennai/Mumbai: The Madras High Court on Tuesday struck down the entirety of Part II of the Tamil Nadu Gaming & Police Laws (Amendment) Act, 2021, which banned betting or wagering in cyberspace on poker, rummy and also games of skill if played for a wager, bet, money or other stakes, providing relief to gaming companies that have been challenging the law.

The issue pertains to a batch of pleas moved by online gaming companies challenging the ordinance passed by the state banning online games in November 2020. The court on Tuesday struck down the amendment, calling it unconstitutional, and said it is not against these games while stating that nothing in its order will prevent the government from introducing appropriate legislation on the issue conforming to Constitutional principles of propriety.