Online gambling laws for India on the horizon?

Hopes are rising for a more certain and stable online gambling environment in India following statements attributed to Home Minister Ranjit Patil this week indicating that the government is seriously considering the introduction of legislation to regulate the sector.

Speaking in the Legislative Council Monday during a debate on an ongoing criminal gambling case, Minister Patil reportedly said while there are laws to that govern betting and lottery in the real world, the State has no legal provisions for the activity on the internet.

“We are awaiting a report by the Indian CERT (computer emergency response team). But we will meanwhile enact a law to regulate online betting,” Patil said.

The Opposition in parliament initiated the debate, claiming that the criminal case had seen up to 500 illegal gambling parlours operating in Mumbai alone, and that activities spread to seven Indian states.

The leader of the Opposition, Dhananjay Munde demanded: “What is stopping the Mumbai Police from shutting down this site?”

The government replied that the man behind the explosion of gambling dens was operating the parlours under the garb of video game parlours, for which he had obtained permissions from local bodies.

“Seven cases have been registered against him by our police. Once the CERT report is in, we will shut this website and arrest him at the earliest,” Patil said.

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