Karnataka Govt. plans to draft a bill to keep a tab on online games

After Tamil Nadu Govt. brought in a law to completely ban online games in the state, neighbouring state Karnataka, whose state capital is one of the hubs for the online gaming market, is planning to bring a law to check the online games.

Recently, the state of Tamil Nadu reported many suicide cases due to online betting and that resulted in Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) releasing stringnet guidelines from their end. The final straw was when some of the police constables who had lost several thousands in online betting, committed suicide.

The decision that the state government had taken afterward had a ripple effect on the neighbouring states with Kerala looking to revoke the special exemption given to online Rummy games. Now, Karnataka might tread the same path, with State Home minister Basavaraj Bommai revealing that the state government has initiated measures to put a tab on the online games.

Mint reported that various states have different provisions where they have classified these games as 'game of skill' and 'game of chance' and the Karnataka govt are studying those drafts to formulate the law.

"The bill is in the drafting stage.In the coming days the Law department will scrutinise it and present it before the cabinet," Bommai said.

The Bill will be put to motion during the next Assembly session.