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‘Poker as a skill game’ petition withdrawn from Delhi HC

In December 2017, the Delhi High Court agreed to hear a petition seeking recognition of poker as a ‘game of skill’ and quashing of gambling charges for playing the game of poker. The petition was filed by Karan Mutha, a Delhi-based poker player who was arrested in a raid of a gambling house on 16th September 2016.

Seven people were arrested in the raid and in his petition, Mutha claimed that the police didn’t take into consideration the game that was being played at the time of the raid. He asked for quashing the case against him as he was playing poker and poker involves skill, which exempts it from ‘gambling’ under the Delhi Public Gambling Act.

He also noted that various poker tournaments and leagues are being hosted by big companies throughout the year without any issues. Earlier this year, the hearing was adjourned to 1st November 2018. However, the petition seeking quashing of charges and recognition of poker as a game of skill has now been withdrawn by Mutha.

On reaching out, Gutshot was informed that Mutha had a word with a few key people from the domestic poker circuit including Vaibhav Gaggar of the legal firm of Gaggar and Associates. Such stalwarts have been associated with the Indian poker landscape for many years now, provided key insights and historical data to Mutha in aiding his legal decision. The case was listed before Delhi High Court’s Justice Mukta Gupta earlier today.

Mutha’s lawyer then asked for the case to be withdrawn, which was allowed by the court. Even whilst this happened, the court did show some inclination towards poker being recognised as a game of skill. Hopefully this is a good sign for future hearings in the matter.

Keep reading GutshotMagazine.com for more updates on this case.

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