Tamil Nadu Governor Promulgates Ordinance to “Ban Online Gaming”; Upto 2 Years Jail for Playing Online Gambling Games

In view of the spate of suicides in the State owing to losses incurred playing online gambling games, Governor of Tamil Nadu Banwarilal Purohit on Friday promulgated an ordinance to “ban online gaming.“

A statement issued by the Raj Bhavan on Friday reads that the state government had submitted a proposal to amend by ordinance the Tamil Nadu Gaming Act, 1930; the Chennai City Police Act, 1888; and the Tamil Nadu District Police Act, 1859 in order to protect innocent people from the evils of online gaming.

No online gambling games is allowed to use electronic funds transfer, which can be used for betting, and there can be no prize money, according to the ordinance.

Also Read: [Online Gambling Regulations] Madras High Court Calls For Law To Regulate Online Gambling After Youths Commits Suicide

It was proposed that the Ordinance provides for the following:

• Ban on wagering or betting in cyberspace using computers or any communication device or resource.
• Persons found so gaming would be punishable with a fine of Rs 5,000 and six months’ imprisonment.
• Ban on the “electronic transfer of funds” used for wagering or betting, distributing the winnings, prize money.
• People who open/keep a common gaming house would be punished with a fine amount of Rs.10,000 and two years’ imprisonment.
• Persons found running a company conducting online gaming by wagering and betting would be punished.

Last month, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy had also asked Union Law Minister RS Prasad to block 132 websites in the state to stop online gambling.