Earlier this month, Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi promulgated an Ordinance to ban online gambling and to regulate online games. The Ordinance named the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Online Gambling and Regulation of Online Games Ordinance, 2022, will establish Tamil Nadu Online Gaming Authority and empower the authority to impose fine and imprison those playing games, hosting games and making advertisements for online gambling.
Speaking on the Bill, Minister Regupathy said “The State government has the responsibility to take care of people’s mental health which is why we curtail gambling in all forms”. Though laws are in place to restrain physical gambling but online gaming is pervasive and a bottleneck to curb gambling as the devices to play such games are freely available to all, he added.