The Legality of Online Gaming in India

Lately, India is opting cyber laws. Being a country of one billion people, it’ unfortunate that we are still lagging in implementing a proper cyber law for online games like Pubg, Rummy, Poker, etc.. In today’s world, everything is coming online and games are also getting onboard as well. Playing Online Rummy has become one of the prominent entertainment in India.

Even, you may get astounded knowing that PUBG mobile has been awarded as the most popular online multiplayer game in the world in the last year though there are a lot of cases on PUBG addiction in India as well. The Indian online gaming industry is estimated at INR 26.5 billion and is expected to grow to INR 50.7 billion by the year 2020. The most interesting part of this fact is that approximately 40% is expected to be contributed by free online rummy games alone. With the penetration of internet facilities, more people are getting in touch with the internet and often find entertainments through games like Online Rummy, Online Poker. A recent survey revealed men in the country spend 8.5 hours on average each month playing online Poker and online Rummy, among other games. So understanding online gaming legalities are going to be important in the coming days.

A few days before, Madras High Court directed that all the games that are being played online and where there’s a chance of getting the prize on our fate is not a legal tender hence comes under gambling. This decision raised a lot of confusions and protests. People came forward with a clarification that if a game is played in a particular area with proper permission and after making every player aware of the situation and the probable outcomes of the game then why it’s declared illegal playing online.

Some famous companies approached the Supreme Court with some well-prepared explanations of getting a thumb up on playing rummy online as a legal tender a few weeks back. After hearing every angles and aspects of the case, the Supreme Court declared that any game that has a space for luck and chance can’t be directly labeled as illegal. If there’s any scope to show proper intelligence then it can’t be an illegal tender at all. Hence, Games like Online Rummy and Poker was held to be a game of skill as considerable skill was required in "fall of the cards had to be memorized", and "holding and discarding cards. Rummy is a game that involves certain rules and is played based on the strategies and challenges which a player come across at different stages. The nature of Rummy is not purely based on luck but it requires lots of mathematical calculations as well. Online Card Games are quite popular in India.

Till now, Indians often take resort to VPNs to play online games which have some fume of confusion with the Indian cyber laws and laws related to information technology, the IT act 2000. According to Indian law, if a game requires a substantial degree of skills then it is legal to play in India. Real Cash Rummy is also categorized into Legal Skill games that hold systematic expertise and consistent capacity than just pure luck. The Supreme Court of India has declared Rummy completely legal and safe to play in India. Hence, the verdict is the conclusive proof of rummy being a game of skill. Now that every aspects have cleared, as an avid player, you can easily go for playing cards as well.