Operators to amend petitions after new ordinance

Sunday 9th of July 2017

Rummy operators in Telangana have suffered another regulatory blow after the Telangana government issued an amendment to the Telangana State Gaming Ordinance on Saturday, local media reports.

The ordinance, first issued in June, saw to a ban on all online games of skill - including Rummy - leading to an uproar and subsequent challenge from rummy operators to the state government.

According to a report from Glaws, under the latest ordinance, the definition of ‘gaming’ has been expanded to include ‘online gaming with stakes’, and now defines gaming as any act of risking money or otherwise betting on the result of an unknown event, including on a game of skill.

The Ordinance further deletes the existing Section 15 of the Telangana Gaming Act which exempts ‘games of skill’ from the ambit of gambling.

The latest decision has thrown a wrench into the various writ petitions filed by online rummy operators in the Andhra Pradesh and Telangana High Court.

The online rummy companies will now have to either withdraw or amend their writ petitions in light of the new amendments, says Glaws.

Interactive Gaming Ban Law Rummy Ordinance