High Court in Delhi to hear about poker

The Court in Delhi is supposed to hear a petition that seeks the recognition of poker as a game of skill.

India.- The High Court from Delhi has decided to allow a petition that seeks poker to be recognised as a game of skill as well as the charges against a group of poker players filed in 2016 to be eliminated.

Karan Mutha, a resident from New Delhi that was arrested in a gambling raid in September 2016, petitioned to see the charges against the players get dropped. The petitioner says that the police didn’t actually specify that the game was being played at the time and place where the raids were conducted. Moreover, he claims that at the time the police interrupted those games, it wasn’t clear whether poker was a game of skill or gambling.

Earlier this month, the Gujarat High Court said that poker cannot be considered a game of skill as it is a gambling activity, therefore it is prohibited in the country. The Court received multiple petitions from different parties that wanted to offer poker in their facilities. The petitioners justified the permission under the fact that there are states in India that define poker as a game of skill instead of gambling, and if there’s an element of skill involved, poker cannot be under the Prevention of Gambling Act. These parties cited judicial pronouncements and states where administrations allow the organisation of poker games. The Indian Poker Association was one of the petitioners who said that poker cannot be considered gambling and that the gaming zones asking for permission should be allowed to organise poker tournaments.