A city court has said that online games involving money cannot be held to be legal and websites hosting them cannot be given any protection under the Constitution. The court said that websites hosting online games involving betting and charging a part of the winning prize from participants is “illegal” in states which prohibit gambling and banks can refuse services to such websites.
Additional district judge (ADJ) Ina Malhotra said, “Betting on games of skill played in the physical form has been opined as legal by the apex court. However, all these games... conducted by gaming sites offering prize money and partaking a slice of winning hand are illegal in states which prohibit gambling.”
“The online gaming, even pertaining to the games of skill, offered by websites involving money cannot be held to be legal and therefore banks can refuse to provide normal banking services to such websites.”
The order came on a petition filed by a firm, an Internet startup company founded by an IIT-Delhi alumni and some others.
The company, in its petition, said that it is proposing to launch a website offering six games — chess, billiards, rummy, poker, bridge and snooker.
The court also dealt with the queries posed by the petitioner firm regarding protection under Article 19 (1)(g) of the Constitution which deals with right to practice any profession and carry out any trade or business. “Sports betting is an offence in India and bookies earning money from bets laid on games of skill cannot be granted protection under Article 19(1)(g) of the Indian Constitution,” it said.
“The online gaming, even pertaining to the games of skill, offered by websites involving money cannot be held to be legal and therefore banks can refuse to provide normal banking services to such websites.”
The order came on a petition filed by a firm, an Internet startup company founded by an IIT-Delhi alumni and some others.
The company, in its petition, said that it is proposing to launch a website offering six games — chess, billiards, rummy, poker, bridge and snooker.
The court also dealt with the queries posed by the petitioner firm regarding protection under Article 19 (1)(g) of the Constitution which deals with right to practice any profession and carry out any trade or business. “Sports betting is an offence in India and bookies earning money from bets laid on games of skill cannot be granted protection under Article 19(1)(g) of the Indian Constitution,” it said.
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