Online rummy to be considered illegal when played for stakes, declares Kerala government by issuing notice.
The Kerala Government had invoked Section 14A of the Gaming Act, 1845 of the State by exempting ‘rummy’ by the issue of a 1976 notice. At present, the government on 23rd February 2021 made amendments and added to the notice, “Except online Rummy when played for stakes.”
According to Section 14A of the Kerala Gaming Act 1960 that regulates activities relating to gambling, the provision gives power to the government exempt a game from all or any of the provisions of the Act if they are “satisfied that in any game the element of skills is more predominant than the element of chance.”
The Kerala High Court recently disposed off of a PIL which seeked for the ban of online rummy. The Court on disposal recorded that the State would take a decision, within the purview of the Kerala Gaming Act 1960, on the aspect of inclusion of online gambling and online betting.
The petitioner approached the High Court pleading the ban of the playing of online rummy, submitting that gambling on online platforms “is a growing menace” in the state of Kerala. The complainant added that, the Gaming act was inadequate when it came to dealing challenges posed by gambling online because it does not cover such activities on electronic gadgets, under its ambit.
In 2020, an urgent concern was shown by the Madras High Court when the Court stressed on the need to regulate online games like poker, bridge, rummy, etc. A Similar PIL was considered by the High Court at Gujarat which was seeking regulation of same online games of gambling and the state considered to do the same in “larger public interest”.
