Plea against online rummy ban ordinance withdrawn

CHENNAI: The petitioner withdrew a request for a directive to strike down the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Gambling and Regulation of Online Games Ordinance 2022 after the State government failed to notify the effective date of the ordinance.

The All India Gaming Federation of India was permitted to withdraw its suit by the first bench of Acting Chief Justice T Raja and Justice D Krishnakumar. The petitioners' initial request was for an order to invalidate the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Gambling and Regulation of Online Games Ordinance 2022.

The State government was represented by senior counsel Kabil Sibal, who argued although the government had brought the ordinance, it had not yet announced the date that it would go into effect and therefore the petition could not be maintained.

Senior lawyer Aryama Sundaram, arguing on behalf of the federation, told the court that the judges would keep the case pending and order the relevant authorities to refrain from taking any legal action for a week following the notification of the ordinance.

The senior counsel's demand, according to the ACJ, was likened to announcing the winner of a race before the whistle had even been blown.

Senior lawyer Mukul Rohatgi argued on behalf of the online gaming companies that the government's attempts to make online rummy and poker unlawful had already been rejected by the court.

Sathish Parasaran, a senior counsel for the petitioner, pointed out that the government could announce the rule at any time, turning online gaming companies into illegal enterprises.

Recording the submissions, the judges dismissed the petition as withdrawn as the counsels for the petitioners informed the court that they would withdraw the plea and will file a fresh petition after the ordinance is notified by the government.