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Gaming Companies Challenge Tamil Nadu’s Regulations In Court

Three leading real-money gaming (RMG) companies—Games24x7, Junglee Games, and Head Digital Works (A23)—have taken legal action against the Tamil Nadu government over its latest gaming regulations. The companies have filed a writ petition in the Madras High Court, challenging the constitutionality of the Tamil Nadu Online Gaming Authority (Real Money Games) Regulations, 2025. The gaming firms are seeking an injunction to halt the enforcement of these new rules, which impose restrictions on playtime and usage for RMG platforms.

The regulations, introduced by the Tamil Nadu Online Gaming Authority (TNOGA), enforce a “blank hour” from midnight to 5 AM, during which access to real-money gaming platforms is restricted. Additionally, the rules mandate that platforms prevent minors from participating in real-money games and provide features allowing users to set daily, weekly, and monthly spending limits.

Further measures include requiring RMG platforms to display pop-up reminders every 30 minutes to alert users about their playtime. These platforms must also feature continuous cautionary messages, such as “ONLINE GAMING IS ADDICTIVE IN NATURE,” on their login screens. Moreover, whenever users deposit money, the platforms must prominently display the fixed spending limit and the amount already spent in “reasonably bold letters.”

The petition filed by the gaming companies urges the court to declare Sections 5 and 14 of the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Online Gambling and Regulation of Online Games Act, 2022, along with the 2025 TNOGA regulations, as “ultra vires, discriminatory, arbitrary, void, illegal, and unconstitutional.” It contends that these rules unfairly single out skill-based games, such as Rummy and Poker when played for real money. Failure to comply with the regulations could result in legal action under Section 16(3) of the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Online Gambling & Regulation of Online Games Act, 2022.

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The case names the State of Tamil Nadu, the Director General of Police of Tamil Nadu, TNOGA, and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) as respondents. This legal dispute follows a similar case in November 2023, when the Madras High Court struck down Tamil Nadu’s earlier ban on online money games. At the time, the court ruled that while the state could impose restrictions such as time limits and age requirements, it could not impose a blanket ban on skill-based games like Rummy and Poker.

The latest petitions represent the fourth round of legal battles between the Tamil Nadu government and skill-gaming companies. So far, four petitions have been filed challenging the current regulations. Meanwhile, the Indian gaming industry continues to advocate for a standardized central regulatory framework.

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