Real money egaming banned? Players now game the system

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

Just last week, the Madras High Court struck down the law banning online real money games such as rummy and poker in Tamil Nadu, cheering up local gamers.

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However, those living in states that do not allow real money e-gaming continue betting, doing it on WhatsApp and Telegram groups. Such groups can comprise only friends and family or even go beyond 16,000 members.

Some are using virtual private networks (VPN) to mask geolocation and IP addresses.

Others are getting residents of states where such apps are not illegal or banned to register and complete the KYC (know your customer norm) and share login details.

These systems are growing more organised by the day and are almost impossible for authorities to detect, lawyers and experts told ET.

Some are continuing their bets, only this time playing on non-real money poker apps and among friends and placing bets on WhatsApp, said a lawyer who specialises in gaming and tech policy. “Setting stakes on messaging apps is one of the most common ways that people manage to play banned games in regions where it is restricted or banned,” he said.


“VPN is another way that they manage to dodge scrutiny because it allows for the geolocation to be changed. So, someone in Telangana can mask their location and seem like they are logging in from Maharashtra,” said the lawyer. This is because typically, Indian websites would not permit users belonging to, or located in, Telangana,