CHENNAI: The State on Wednesday informed the Madras High Court that it has banned online betting games including the card game Rummy because it has led to the death of seven persons by suicides in the past five years alone, apart from other crimes. The State made the submissions to the petitions moved by online companies challenging the state government ordinance imposing a ban on such games.
In its nine-page reply to the court, the State home department said, “Playing games like rummy and poker online for money or stakes which are addictive in nature have developed manifold. As a result, innocent people get cheated and incidents of suicides are reported. People playing online games for money or stakes have lost their earnings and savings.”
Recalling an incident, the State said that a father of two children attempted to murder the children to threaten his wife and extract money to play rummy. The State also cited a similar prohibition imposed in Telangana, a single judge of this court suggested the State government pass suitable legislation to regulate and control such online betting games.
It also added that the Madurai Bench suggested the State to bring a legislation to curb the games. The first bench of Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy recording the submissions directed the online gaming companies to file a counter to submissions made by the State and adjourned plea to February 10.