KOCHI: Though the Kerala government issued a notification declaring online rummy game illegal by amending the Kerala Gaming Act, 1960, cybercrime experts demand appropriate tools and a regulatory framework for games of skill
Following a spate of suicides reported in recent times in the state caused by mounting debt incurred due to online gambling, the state government issued a notification last month banning online rummy by declaring it ‘illegal’. The Kerala Gaming Act, 1960, was amended to enforce its ban. Now, those playing or operating online rummy websites will face penal consequences. However, cybercrime experts expressed helplessness regarding ban implementation as there are no appropriate tools to monitor the same.
The decision to ban online rummy was taken by the state government based on a PIL filed by film director and activist Pauly Vadakkan, who raised concerns about the ill effects of the online rummy and requested the game to be banned and declared illegal’ Based on this, a notification was issued to ban online rummy.“Not just suicides but cheating, theft and other crimes have also resulted due to online rummy addiction. Though many people have lost huge sums of money, they’re addicted to the nature of the game and engage in various methods to play the game. Recently, a 29- year-old youth from Thiruvananthapuram committed suicide after losing Rs 22 lakh in online rummy,” said T Shyamlal, DySP, CyberCrime police station, Thiruva-nanthapuram.
What online rummy pioneers say
Shivanandan Pare, CEO of Adda52Rummy, said, “ We are awaiting a copy of the ban on online rummy in Kerala. However, we don’t see a reason to ban the game since the Supreme Court has stated that wagering on games of skill cannot be considered gambling. A better approach would have been to draft a policy framework and bringing out regulations on online rummy. This move will only lead to an increase in the number of illegal operators.”
Expressing his dismay on the recent decision by the Kerala Government, Sameer Barde, CEO of The Online Rummy Federation (TORF) said, “The decision is very unfortunate. Rather than protecting the players, this decision will put them at higher risk and the mercy of unscrupulous elements. The very idea that online and offline are any different is not valid. Online and offline rummy is played with the same rules and skills.
As the self-regulator to the online rummy industry, TORF requires all its certified members to meet many elements of player protection that ensures that the player experience on these platforms is safe, fair and enables responsible gaming. Some of these include mandatory KYC for players playing for real money to ensure that no underage players are involved and setting up of daily and monthly limits for users to ensure that game-play is within finite monetary thresholds.”
Sameer said, “When Telangana enacted a blanket ban which encompassed even legitimate skill gaming activity, legally compliant companies, including the members of TORF, stopped offering skill games to the residents of Telangana, whereas illegal gambling activities flourished. We would like to suggest that the Government of Kerala set up a committee to review, discuss and propose a regulatory framework for games of skill similar to Meghalaya, Nagaland and Sikkim.”