Online gaming is addictive, enact a law: OPS urges Stalin

CHENNAI: "Gambling is a disease and addiction and in view of that sale of lotteries was banned by the then chief minister J Jayalalithaa in 2003," he pointed out. He said that the lotteries were banned and online games were introduced a few years ago. Youth have started getting addicted to that".

Referring to the recent advertisement that players could earn up to Rs 2,000 crore through online games, Panneerselvam said "Online gaming companies' statutory warning also clearly shows it is purely gambling".

The AIADMK leader also claimed as many youths have committed suicide in the State after losing lots of money in online games, the then AIADMK government enacted a law in 2021 to ban online games.

"But online gaming companies have moved the court against the law and got the order for scrapping the rule," he said adding that it cannot be accepted the online gaming companies' claim that the game would improve skills of the players".

Panneerselvam said if this context continues, youths will lose interest in studies and in seeking jobs, and instead, they would become addicts. "Most of the affected people through online games were from poor backgrounds".

"Therefore, the Chief Minister should immediately intervene to take measures to either move the court for an appeal or enact new law to ban online games accordingly," he said.