Madras HC denies immediate relief to online gaming companies
online gaming companies pending adjudication of a batch of cases filed by them as well as the All India Gaming Federation (AIGF) challenging the constitutional validity of Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Online Gambling and Regulation of Online Games Act, 2022. AIGF's challenge of the TN Gaming Act was listed (alongside the challenges filed by Gameskraft, Junglee Games, Head Digital Works and Play Games 24x7) before the bench of the Chief Justice SV Gangapurwala and Justice P D Audikesavalu of the Madras High Court.
The bench said that they would prefer to take up the writ petitions for final hearing anytime rather than hearing the matter for the purpose of interim relief since the arguments would be identical. The batch of writ petitions challenge the Tamil Nadu government's new law banning online gambling and classifying online rummy and poker as games of chance.
The senior advocates on behalf of the petitioners were Abhishek Manu Singhvi who represented Gameskraft and Mukul Rohatgi who appeared on behalf of Junglee Rummy, A23 and Games24x7 highlighted the jurisprudence on games of skill, and the issue of legislative competence. «Mukul Rohatgi strenuously contended that the new law is ex facie unconstitutional and is in the teeth of several Supreme Court judgments and High Court judgments, including the 2021 Madras HC division bench judgment in Junglee Games,» gaming lawyer Jay Sayta who witnessed the proceedings on Monday told ET.
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