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Madras HC Denies Interim Relief To Gaming Firms, Final Hearing On 13th July

The All India Gaming Federation (AIGF), alongside many online gaming firms, had filed writ petitions with the Madras High Court (HC), which were heard by a division bench consisting of Chief Justice Sanjay V. Gangapurwala and Justice PD Audikesavalu. The above-mentioned writ petitions were filed to challenge the validity of the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Online Gambling and Regulation of Online Games Act, 2022.

Firms in A23 Rummy, Junglee Rummy, and Games 24×7 had Senior counsel Mukul Rohatgi representing them, while Abhishek Manu Singhvi represented Gameskraft. The lawyers claimed the new law to be ex-facie and unconstitutional while stating how it contradicts several judgments passed by the Supreme Court.

Rohatgi stated that online card games like rummy and poker are games of skill. Meanwhile, Singhvi asserted how similar cases of online rummy ban passed by the Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala governments were recently struck down in the previous three judgments.

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After presenting their arguments, both lawyers asked the bench for interim relief. Rohatgi and Singhvi claimed that online gaming companies are facing the threat of coercive criminal action despite the games available on their platform being determined as skill-based games by the Supreme Court.

Senior counsel Kapil Sibal who is representing the state government opposed the petitioners’ argument. He went on to state how the plea for interim relief was already refused by a division bench of Acting Chief Justice T. Raja and Justice D. Bharatha Chakravarthy on 27th April.

Sibal went on to insist that these writ petitions should rather be taken up for final hearing over interim relief. After listening to the argument from both sides, the Chief Justice decided against granting an interim relief and asked the counsel to decide a date for final arguments.

Rohatgi asked for 13th July while Sibal requested for 20th July. This matter is all set to be listed again on 13th July 2023 and it will be interesting to see which way the Madras High Court will swing their decision.

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