The Andhra Pradesh government on Thursday took a decision to ban online games like poker and rummy that were pushing the youth on a wrong path.
The Andhra Pradesh government on Thursday took a decision to ban online games like poker and rummy that were pushing the youth on a wrong path.
The decision to ban online gambling was taken by the state cabinet under the chairmanship of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, said Information Minister Perni Venkataramaiah (Nani).
At the end of the cabinet meeting, the Minister briefed the reporters saying that online gambling has become a vice that was damaging the youth by 'misleading' them.
"So we have decided to ban all such online gambling to protect the youth," Nani said.
As per the Cabinet decision, organisers of online gambling would be jailed for a year, besides being penalised, for a first-time offence. For the second offence, the jail term would go up to two years with a fine.
Also, those caught playing the online games would attract a jail term of six months, the minister added.
Earlier in July, the Madurai bench of the Madras High Court had observed that the Central and State governments could pass laws banning online games that involve money such as Online Rummy, card games, and others across India.
The Court drew a parallel to the Telangana government Ordinance amending the Telangana Gaming Act 1974, banning Online Rummy. This meant that users playing real cash games from the state are prohibited from doing so.
Hearing this plea, Justice B Pugalendhi noted that the Tamil Nadu government had prevented many untoward incidents caused by addiction towards gambling by banning the sale of physical and online lottery tickets in 2003.
He added that contemporary online games including rummy, card games, and many other online games have seen people squandering money. It was also stated that people, particularly the youth, were affected by this as their valuable time and ability to think was being wasted, thus leading to unwanted consequences for society.
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