The Karnataka High Court on Monday struck down provisions of the Karnataka Police (Amendment) Act, 2021 which prohibited and criminalised online gambling in the state, Bar and Bench reported.
The judgement was pronounced by a bench comprising Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi and Justice Krishna S Dixit, who called the provisions “unconstitutional”.
However, the bench clarified that the judgement was not striking down the entire Act and said it would not come in the way if the state decided to bring a new law “in consonance with the Constitution”, Bar and Bench reported.
In September, the Karnataka Assembly had passed legislation to amend the Karnataka Police Act, 1963, which had made all forms of gambling, including online, a non-bailable offence.
The move had prompted several gaming operators like the Online Gaming Federation and Federation of Indian Fantasy Sports along with a few online gaming enthusiasts to move a plea in the High Court, The Hindu reported.
The petitioners had claimed that games of skill, irrespective of whether they involved the risk of losing money, do not amount to wagering or betting, according to Bar and Bench.
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