Several states includingKarnatakahave urged the Centre to enact a law to ban online gaming with stakes, alleging that the practice was ruining lives of people, especially youngsters. The demand was made during the two-day conference of law ministers and secretaries of all states in October.
In February this year, the Karnataka struck down the Karnataka Police (Amendment) Act 2021 that prohibited and criminalised online games with stakes. The court held that although poles apart in nature, the law puts games of skill on par with games of chance. The court also observed that the government enacted the law without the support of any study to understand the ill effects of online gaming.