Kerala government considers enlisting poker as a skill game

Saturday 25th of June 2016

The Kerala government has announced its decision to consider recognizing poker and bridge as games of skill by way of amending a notification dated September 30, 1976, Glaws reports.

The notification was unearthed by gaming lawyer Jay Sayta which pointed at the exemption of rummy, dart throw, ball throw shooting contests etc. from the penal provisions of the Gaming Act Sayta, based on this notification, wrote to the then Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, suggesting that the notification be suitably amended to include games like poker and bridge, since the element of skill outweighs the element of chance.

According to Sayta, the Karnataka High Court has already indicated poker to be a game of skill, while the statute in West Bengal also exempts poker, rummy, bridge and nap from being categorized as gambling.

Additionally, it was stated in the letter, that the Nagaland legislative assembly recently enacted a new law to recognise and regulate online poker, rummy and bridge as games of skill.

“If the suggestions in the letter are accepted, it would be end any ambiguity on the legality of poker and conclusively end any debate regarding the element of skill involved in the game,” says Sayta.

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