DMK government softens stand towards Governor, hopeful of nod for Bill on online gambling
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Softening its stance towards Governor R N Ravi, the Tamil Nadu government on Saturday expressed hope that Ravi would quickly sign the Bill prohibiting online gambling and regulating online games.
This comes after the DMK-led government had initially criticised Ravi over the delay in giving the Bill his assent.
The Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Online Gambling and Regulation of Online Games Bill, 2022, is expected to be signed into law by the Governor “very soon,” state Law Minister S Regupathy said on Saturday.
Regupathy, who led a government delegation on Thursday to meet Ravi to clarify issues the Governor brought up, also said, “We weren’t blaming the Governor. All we asked was that he not put off giving the bill his assent.”
The minister added, “We have clarified all his questions and explained our position.”
Regupathy said the government received the Governor’s approval for the Ordinance on October 4, and after formulating the rules and regulations, a Government Order (GO) was to be issued. “However, on October 5, it was decided in the Assembly that we will pass a Bill and submit it for the Governor’s approval. We did publish the Ordinance in the government gazette,” he said.
The Bill, drafted in response to recommendations from a committee led by retired judge, Justice K Chandru, states that no online games provider will offer online gambling services, permit playing of any online game of chance specified with money or other stakes, or allow playing of any other online game in violation of the rules, in any form.
Tamil Nadu is taking action against online rummy for the second time. In 2021, the then AIADMK government did so through a law that was later overturned by Madras High Court on the grounds that it lacked sufficient evidence and justification.
