Tamil Nadu to reintroduce bill to ban online gambling

The bill is expected to be reintroduced during the upcoming budget session.

India.- The Tamil Nadu cabinet, headed by chief minister MK Stalin, has decided to reintroduce a bill to ban online gambling in the state assembly. The decision was made during a cabinet meeting held on Thursday (March 9), and the bill is expected to be reintroduced during the upcoming budget session.

The move comes after the state governor denied assent to the bill, claiming that the state assembly did not have the legislative competence to enact the legislation. 

According to New Indian Express, law minister S Reguphathy stated: “The governor cannot deny assent to the bill when it is sent for the second time. The governor said the state assembly has no legislative competence to enact such legislation. But as per Madras HC orders, the assembly has the powers.”

Asked whether the bill will be reintroduced in its existing form, the minister said that “if additional views are expressed during the discussion, they will be added.”

The minister said 12 people have committed suicide in Tamil Nadu since the governor refused to sign the bill, which aims to ban online rummy. However, he dismissed the possibility of taking the matter to course to fight the governor’s decision.

The bill will be passed again and submitted to the governor, under entry 34 of the state list and not entry 33, which only allows for skilled games. According to Regupathy, the current law was not intended to prohibit skill games but to address the manipulation that can occur in online games.