Karnataka will proceed with its crackdown on online games that include wagering whether or not the operator is from India or a far-off country, home minister Araga Jnanendra said.

“The law applies to all. We won’t separate whether the culprit is an Indian or a foreigner gaming organization,” the minister told ET, adding nobody can escape from the long arms of the state’s law.

His remarks came in light of complaints from segments of Indian gaming firms that a couple of seaward operators were moving away spurning the state’s new law while Indian players have consented to it.

The Karnataka government, on October 5, informed the law forbidding wagering and betting in online games after the state assembly passed amendments to the Karnataka Police Act, 1963, last month.

All India Gaming Federation (AIGF) CEO Roland Landers, in an email statement, said the federation has got every one of its members to geo-block Karnataka as per the most recent law. “In any case, it’s exceptionally disappointing to see illegal foreign betting applications working liberated in the state… Since 2018, AIGF has been bringing the hazard of foreign betting applications to state and central authorities; however, they proceed to flourish and straightforwardly promote their services,” he said.

“As an industry, we had brought up before that such operators won’t stop their illegal betting platforms nor stop users from getting to services from the dark market. Tax-paying, local online skill gaming organizations including numerous online gaming startups have been generally affected eventually,” Landers added.

The home minister explained that the state’s new law doesn’t boycott games of skill, but just utilization of money in whatever structure in online games via wagering. Advocate General Prabhulinga Navadgi, he said, will himself show up before the high court and defend the amendments in the lawful challenge to the law brought upon by sections of gaming players.

HC hearing on Wednesday

Justice Krishna S Dixit at the High Court will take up for hearing the petitions challenging the state’s new law forbidding online wagering games on October 27.

The petitioners, including the AIGF, have challenged the Constitutional legitimacy of the amendments to the Karnataka Police Act, 1963.

The petitioners have looked for interim relief that includes a stay for the activity of the new amendments to the Police Act identifying with online gaming, and bearings to the state government not to start procedures under the provisions of the law during the pendency of the request.

Karnataka’s amended Police Act boycotts online games that are “games of chance” in nature. The law peruses: “gaming implies and includes online games, including all types of betting or wagering, including for the type of tokens valued as far as money paid previously or after issue of it, or electronic means and virtual currency, electronic transfer of funds regarding any game of chance.” The law, be that as it may, rejects lottery or betting or wagering on horse races.

Credits: The Economic Times