Poker games may be allowed in Kerala soon

Members of the All India Gambling Federation met the Kerala government calling for a revision to the existing norms on gambling.

India.-  Members of the All India Gambling Federation met the Kerala government seeking a revision to existing norms on gambling. Ronald Landers Federation’s CEO and his team met additional chief secretary for home Nalini Netto to discuss the matter. According to Landers the government is to take a favorable stance in this regard.

On its part, Netto commented that the representatives of the Federation had come with a prior appointment to petition the government. The government has not given any assurances regarding this matter, she outlined as the government has to first consider the issue in detail.

Poker games involve lakhs of rupees and are currently allowed in the Indian stated of Nagaland, Karnataka and Bengal. In addition to casinos and clubs, the games are also played online. The government of Nagaland made the game legal via an amendment last year.

As per the Kerala Games Act 1960, the poker is not allowed in the state. On the other hand, members of the federation said that a special amendment in 1976 had allowed card games such as 28, 56, 112, and Rummy in the state as long as gambling was not involved. The federation also wants the state to make the poker legal because Karnataka and Kolkata High Courts and Bengaluru police have declassified it from the list of gambling games.