Spell out plan to regulate online rummy, govt told

A division bench comprising Justice MM Sundresh and Justice R Hemalatha on allowing the plea orally observed the need to regulate such games played online for a stake. It observed that since those playing rummy with money as bet are arrested, there exists no logic in allowing online gambling. Based on this, the bench ordered notice to the government returnable by September 9, seeking to come out with a definitive stand on the issue.

The petitioner, M Vinoth, a practising advocate, had submitted that many gaming portals are misused by several companies in the name of online business and entertainment and one such is the online rummy game, which was introduced in 2000 as an entertainment game involving no money transactions.

But now, over 20 such companies are minting money with online rummy in the absence of State or Central restrictions. Pointing out that no licence is required to start an online rummy game, the petitioner argued that it’s not a game of skill but that of algorithms, where, at some point, the company makes the player a victim. The petitioner contended that youth are getting addicted to the game and after losing hard-earned money are resorting to suicide.