The Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi has approved a long-pending Bill to ban online gambling, which includes online rummy and poker with stakes in the State.

The legislation, called the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Online Gambling and Regulation of Online Games Bill, also seeks to regulate online gaming including fantasy sports which may now need vetting by a multi-member committee, Justice K Chandru, retired Madras High Court judge who led the four-member committee tasked with giving recommendations on online gambling in the state.

“Across party lines, there was consensus to ban these games in the state. For all other online games, including fantasy sports, a Committee will be set up to look individually into the companies and determine if they need to be regulated or banned,” says Chandru.

The rules are yet to be framed. A committee will be constituted when the Gazette notification is published.

According to the reports, an ordinance that later became the Bill was passed by the state assembly that sought to ban online rummy and poker.

Online gaming firms reacted sharply to the legislation citing previous Court judgments that had classified rummy and poker as games of skill and not chance. Firms will pursue legal recourse in a bid to overturn the ban, as per reports.

Malay Kumar Shukla, Secretary, E-Gaming Federation, says, “We are examining the legislation and shall be taking appropriate action based on legal advice in due course of time.”

“We will challenge the constitutionality of the law, once the effective date is notified and have full faith that our judicial system will uphold the fundamental rights of the gaming platforms and their users,” says Roland Landers, CEO, All India Gaming Federation, which represents a large number of Indian MSME gaming startups.