The Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly first adopted the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Online Gambling and Regulation of Online Games Bill, 2022 (L.A. Bill No. 53 of 2022) on October 19, 20221. The Bill was drafted based on the recommendations of a committee headed by retired Madras High Court judge Justice Chandru and the School Education Department, and on consultations with others1.
The Governor, R.N. Ravi, returned the Bill on March 6, saying it was ultra vires the Constitution and against the judgments of courts1. He returned it after 131 days with some notes1. The Assembly reintroduced the Bill on March 23 and adopted it once again in March1.
Chief Minister M.K. Stalin said the Bill was drafted with care. On reintroducing it, he said:
"The Bill was drafted not only with our intelligence but also with our heart. We may have political differences, which is natural. But anyone with a heart will not have two views on banning online gambling, which has been claiming lives."
Stalin also recalled Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Anurag Singh Thakur's statement in Parliament on March 21, 2023, that States were empowered to enact laws banning online gambling under Section 34 of the 7th Schedule of the Constitution1.
The Governor granted his assent to the re-adopted Bill on Monday, April 10, 20231. Stalin said the assent was a "good consequence" of the resolution on the Governor adopted by the Assembly earlier in the day, and that the law would be published in the Tamil Nadu Government Gazette the same day1.
What it means for players
The Bill covers online gambling and the regulation of online games in Tamil Nadu, one of India's states. The text of the law as published in the Gazette, its commencement date, the penalties it sets and which games fall inside or outside its scope have not been reported here. How it applies to players located in Tamil Nadu, to expats and visitors in the state, and to offshore operators taking bets from there has not been reported. For the wider picture of where gambling is permitted across the country, see Where Gambling Is Allowed in India, State by State and Can I Gamble in India?. For how such bans work in practice, see What India's Online Gaming Ban Means for Players and Crackdowns on Offshore Online Gambling Hubs in Asia.
What happens next
The Chief Minister said the law would be published in the Tamil Nadu Government Gazette on April 10, 20231. No further steps, commencement date or enforcement measures have been reported.
