Online rummy operator loses fight in Indian supreme court

The Indian online rummy operator Krida Sports and Games Private Limited has lost its petition to the Indian Supreme Court in Delhi, which on Friday refused to entertain the company’s challenge of the validity of online gambling bans legislated by the states of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.

A bench headed by Justice Madan B lokur rejected the challenge, noting that the Telangana government had issued two new ordinances amending the Telangana Gaming Act, 1974 to ban online gambling by adding a new definition of ‘cyber space’ in the legislation, making betting and gambling via the internet illegal.

Subsequently, the governments of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh followed suit, prompting the operator to raise the matter with the Supreme Court.

In its response to the Krida challenge, the Telegana government contended that addiction to online rummy has adversely affected various sections of society, including students and women. It also asserted that law has been well settled that writ jurisdiction cannot be invoked by a company against the state, claiming infringement of fundamental rights.

The state said it was compelled to enact the banning Ordinance pursuant to its constitutional responsibilities of ensuring a just social order.