TN governor approves ordinance banning online gambling, no clarity on ads

Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi has given a nod to the ordinance to regulate online gambling. It was by the end of September that the Tamil Nadu government had cleared an ordinance to ban online gambling.

According to media reports, the governor cleared the ordinance on October 1 and it was published in the Gazette on Friday. The state is likely to pass a bill in this regard to make it a permanent act in the upcoming assembly session starting on October 17.

In June, a committee headed by Justice K Chandru had submitted its report on the effects of online games with stakes on its users. The panel had not only suggested a ban on online games with stakes, but had also batted for a ban on advertisements that encourage people to play such games. It is not clear whether the current ordinance includes the advertisement aspects as well. The report had highlighted that in the past three years at least 17 people lost their lives in the state due to online games with stakes.

A law enacted by the AIADMK government banning online games in February 2021 was struck down by the High Court in August 2021. The Stalin government had approached the Supreme Court with an appeal in this regard in November.