CHENNAI: CPM state secretary P Shanmugam has welcomed the Madras High Court’s recent verdict upholding the state government’s authority to regulate online gambling, including rummy, and has reiterated its demand for a complete ban on such platforms.

In a statement issued on Monday, Shanmugam said the party had consistently called for stringent measures against online gambling, which has led to numerous cases of youth suicides and financial ruin among poor and middle-class families.

He also criticised online loan firms for exacerbating the situation by encouraging users to gamble. Shanmugam recalled that the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Online Gambling and Regulation of Online Games Act, 2022, was framed based on recommendations by an expert committee led by Justice K Chandru.

Despite the Act’s passage, the Governor had delayed its assent, against which the CPM had raised strong objections. He noted that the Act introduced vital safeguards such as mandatory Aadhaar linking and a ban on gaming between midnight and 5 am. Legal challenges by gaming companies were dismissed by a division bench comprising Justices SM Subramaniam and K Rajasekar, who upheld the State’s regulatory powers and emphasised the social harms caused by online gambling.

The CPM urged the government to go further by implementing a total ban, stating that continued operation of such games poses a direct threat to family welfare and the right to livelihood.