The Supreme Court of India is hearing key appeals challenging Tamil Nadu and Karnataka’s bans on online skill-based games. Lawyers are arguing in the Supreme Court that:
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Online games like rummy, poker, and fantasy sports are games of skill, not gambling — so they should be legal.
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Games of skill are protected by the Constitution under Article 19(1)(g), which allows people to run businesses.
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State governments cannot regulate online platforms because the internet is controlled by the central government.
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The laws unfairly ban online versions of games that are legal when played offline — this is unequal and violates Article 14.
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Previous court rulings already said these games are legal, so state laws trying to ban them go against the Supreme Court’s past decisions.
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Just because money or entry fees are involved doesn’t make it gambling, as skill is still the main factor.
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Fantasy sports involve strategy and statistics, not chance, so they are clearly skill-based.
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Fantasy platforms don’t offer bets — they charge a fixed fee to run contests.
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States are overstepping their authority, trying to control something (online gaming) that legally belongs to the Centre.
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Such bans hurt businesses and digital innovation, and there’s no strong evidence that these games cause harm.
Read the article
https://www.gamingamigos.com/post/india-sc-reviews-state-bans-rummy-poker-fantasy-sports
