Skill Or Luck? Bombay HC To Unravel Online Rummy's Mystery Amid Concerns Over Addiction, Exploitation

Online gaming companies were ordered by the Bombay High Court on
Wednesday to reply to a public interest lawsuit that demanded a ban on
websites such as Rummy Circle and Junglee Rummy. The Court ordered the
gaming platforms to explain why the PIL cannot be upheld and why online
Rummy is a skill-based game rather than a luck-based one in a week.

Ganesh Ranu Nanaware, the petitioner, was also given a week by the Court to respond to the affidavits that the gaming platform had provided. The hearing is scheduled for October 16. Senior Attorneys Naushad Engineer, Venkatesh Dhond, Darius Khambata, and Parag Khandhar opposed the PIL and expressed concerns about its maintenance ability during the hearing on Wednesday before a two-Judge bench of the Court, which is made up of Chief Justice D.K. Upadhyaya and Justice M.M. Sathaye.

According to Nanaware's appeal, many users of the two gaming platforms have been addicted and suffered financial losses as a result; some of these people have even sadly committed suicide.

Advocate Vijay Garad, speaking on behalf of Nanaware, claimed that
"Youngsters are dying by suicide and losing their money by playing rummy
through these apps." The Public Gambling Act of 1867, the Bombay Prevention of Gambling Act of 1887, and the Information Technology Act of 2000 are among the laws that the platforms are accused of breaking, according to the plea.

The plea said that the platforms violate the Indian Penal Code by endorsing
gambling, which is categorised as a game of chance and is prohibited in most Indian States. The information obtained through the Right to Information Act, it was further stated, verified that the State Government had not authorised any such online gambling operations.

Celebrities like Shah Rukh Khan and Sachin Tendulkar, according to Nanaware, have endorsed these platforms, which has increased their popularity and caused social harm. Requests for Google India Pvt. Ltd., the company that provides these apps' services, to stop hosting the apps were sent, but they received no response. Nanaware said that this has made it possible for Junglee Rummy and Rummy Circle to carry on with their business.

In his appeal, Nanaware has asked the Government to order the prohibition of these applications and the suspension of Google India's server support. Along with endorsing the game, he had also filed an interim application to take action against Shah Rukh Khan and Sachin Tendulkar.

However, this was removed today when the Court noted that it would lessen
the legal emphasis on determining whether online rummy programs are skill-based or chance-based games.

Author:
Aarya Kadam (News Writer) is a final-year BBA student and a creative writer with a passion for current affairs and legal Judgments.