TN to draft ordinance to regulate online gaming & gambling

CHENNAI: Following demands from public and political parties to ban online gaming and gambling, the State government is in the final stage of drafting an Ordinance to regulate online gaming/gambling.

Chief Minister MK Stalin on Thursday held a meeting with Law Minister S Regupathy Chief Secretary V Irai Anbu, Home Secretary Phanindra Reddy, DGP Sylendra Babu, Greater Chennai Police Commissioner Shankar Jiwal and other senior officials of the government to discuss the provisions of the Ordinance.

"The State government wanted the Ordinance enacted immediately and the ordinance will be ready in a few days. There were discussions about the previous law enacted by the State government and the Chief Minister was so concerned that the newly enacted Ordinance should not get defeated in the court. The legislation has been designed in such a way that it will be a balanced one to cater to the needs of the public as well as the industry,” said an official, who attended the meeting.

To ban/regulate online gaming and gambling sites, the State government appointed a panel headed by retired Justice B Chandru and the panel after analysing the impact of online gaming and gambling submitted its report to the State government. The report was placed before the state Cabinet and approval for enacting a legislation against online gambling and gaming was obtained.

Meanwhile, there were allegations that the panel failed to obtain the views of the gaming industry and so a consultation meeting in which the stakeholders participated. After getting their views, the meeting was convened.

Earlier in the day, PMK President Anbumani Ramadoss urged the State government to enact the legislation against online gaming and gambling immediately. "The panel to study the impact of online gambling submitted its report and the stakeholders meeting has also been completed. State government should not further delay the enactment of legislation to ban online gambling, ", said Anbumani, in a tweet.