The Bombay High Court directed online gaming platforms to respond to a Public Interest Litigation calling for a ban on platforms like Junglee Rummy and Rummy Circle. The court said that the gaming platforms within a week have to state how the PIL is not maintainable and also have to state how online rummy is a game of skill and not a game of chance.
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MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court directed online gaming platforms, including Junglee Rummy and Rummy Circle, to respond to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that seeks a ban on their operations. The PIL claims these platforms promote gambling under the guise of skill-based games, leading to addiction and financial losses among users.
The court ordered the gaming platforms to file their response within a week, specifically addressing why the PIL should not be maintainable and explaining how online rummy qualifies as a “game of skill” rather than a “game of chance.”
Additionally, the petitioner, Ganesh Ranu Nanaware, has also been granted a week to file a rejoinder to the affidavits submitted by the gaming platforms.
The matter is scheduled to be heard again on October 16.
During the Wednesday hearing before a bench consisting of Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya and Justice MM Sathaye, senior advocates Naushad Engineer, Venkatesh Dhond, Darius Khambata, and Parag Khandhar represented the gaming platforms, arguing against the maintainability of the PIL.
Nanaware’s plea asserts that these platforms have caused significant social harm, citing instances of addiction and financial losses, leading some users to tragic consequences.
According to his advocate, Vijay Garad,
“Youngsters are losing their money by playing rummy through these apps, and they are dying by suicide.”
The petition also alleges that the operations of Junglee Rummy and Rummy Circle violate several laws, including the Public Gambling Act of 1867, the Bombay Prevention of Gambling Act of 1887, and the Information Technology Act of 2000.
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Furthermore, the plea contends that these platforms contravene the Indian Penal Code by promoting gambling, classified as a game of chance and prohibited in several regions of India. Nanaware claimed that information acquired under the Right to Information Act revealed that the state government had not granted permission for such online gambling activities.
Nanaware further argued that endorsements by prominent celebrities like Sachin Tendulkar and Shah Rukh Khan have amplified the popularity of these platforms, thereby exacerbating the social harm. He also mentioned that legal notices sent to Google India Pvt. Ltd., the service provider hosting these apps, requesting their removal, went unanswered, allowing Junglee Rummy and Rummy Circle to continue their operations.
In his petition, Nanaware seeks directives for the government to ban these gaming platforms and prevent Google India from providing server support.
He had also initially filed an interim application seeking action against celebrities such as Sachin Tendulkar and Shah Rukh Khan for endorsing the games. However, he withdrew this part of his plea after the court indicated that it could distract from the main legal issue of whether online rummy is a game of skill or chance.
The ongoing legal battle will likely influence the future of online gaming in India, especially concerning skill-based games versus games of chance, and their impact on users.
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