Gambling state subject, Delhi has to regulate online games of chance: Centre to HC

The Centre told the Delhi High Court on Wednesday that gambling was a state subject and the AAP government has to make laws to regulate such activities in the national capital.

The Central government made the submission before a bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice C Hari Shankar during the hearing of a plea seeking an end to operation of websites which allow people to gamble, bet and play games of chance, like poker, online.

The Centre urged the court to make the Delhi government a party to the case.

However, the bench asked the Central government to first file its response to the plea by Avinash Mehrotra, who has alleged that online gaming websites are illegal.

His petition contends that gaming and gambling websites are encouraging people to spend their hard-earned money on games of chance, like poker and blackjack. It said success in these games was based solely on the turn of cards and no skill was involved.

The petition alleges that as most of these websites are based outside India, it is leading to the flight of foreign exchange from the country in violation of the Foreign Exchange Management Act.