The Karnataka Police (Amendment) Act, 2021, which looks to control online gaming has been challenged in the high court. While giving notification to the state government and Bengaluru officials of police, Justice Krishna S Dixit guided petitions to be recorded on October 27.

The All India Gaming Federation and others challenged the legislation, saying they were astonished by the state government forbidding online games for the skill being played for stakes. They fight that the Amendment Act is arbitrary and unclear.

Games of skill don’t fall under betting and wagering: Petitioners

They contended that games of skill don’t fall inside the ambit of “betting and wagering” as trying to be characterized in the new legislation. “The state government doesn’t have the authoritative skill to authorize the Amending Act. Entry 34 of List II of the Constitution of India engages the state government to legislate just concerning “wagering and betting” and that this section doesn’t stretch out to legislating on games of skill” the petitioner expressed.

As per them, the meaning of ‘place’ has been extended to include virtual platforms, mobile applications, and the internet and the state needs to control them just as communication gadgets, electronic applications, software, online gaming, and computer resources. Highlighting the amendment’s impact, petitioners added gaming has now been defined to include online games clandestinely extends it even to games of skill played for stakes.

“The clarification currently characterizes betting and wagering to include any act of gambling money for a game of skill by people playing such game or by an outsider. As clarified on the floor of the assembly by the chief minister, the amendment grants playing of chess, however, condemns playing of chess for profit, money or in any case,” petitioners called attention to.

The Amending Act was passed by the assembly on September 21, 2021, and by the chamber on September 23, 2021. The governor gave his consent on October 4, 2021, and it was told and brought into power on October 5, 2021.

Credits: The Times Of India