The status of online poker inInida has been under scrutiny for some time. Petitions to ban online gambling have been the subject of debate at the Madras High Court for almost a decade.
Delays and postponements have dragged the debate on for longer than necessary. Things came to a head recently after two men reportedly committed suicide because of gambling debts. As such, the Madras High Court pushed the agenda earlier this month.
Justices B. Pugalendhi and N. Kirubakaran ruled that action should be taken against online poker and rummy sites operating in Tamil Nadu. The verdict was almost identical to one issued in July. On both occasions, the court ruled that online gambling should be made illegal or regulated.
The ruling means online poker and rummy are now illegal in Tamil Nadu. Anyone caught playing within the state can be fined up to $135, imprisoned for two years, or both. Owners of online gambling sites active in the region can also be subject to legal action.
The decision isn’t only a blow to those in Tamil Nadu, but to the online poker industry in India. With a population of more than one billion and an emerging middle class, India has the potential to become a hotspot for poker.
The fractured nature of the industry makes it difficult, at best, for India to fulfil its potential. The ban in Tamil Nadu won’t help that but, among the negatives, there is a potential positive.
That, however, will take time and money that some may not care to invest. For now, then, all bets are off in Tamil Nadu.
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