<p>Tamil Nadu Cabinet on Thursday decided to re-enact the bill that bans online gambling and regulates online games in the Assembly during the Budget Session beginning March 20 and send it back to Governor R N Ravi, who <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/south/tamil-nadu-governor-returns-bill-banning-online-gambling-1198362.html" target="_blank">returned the legislation</a> on the grounds that the state had no “legislative competence” to draft a bill over the issue. </p>.<p>The cabinet headed by <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tag/m-k-stalin" target="_blank">Chief Minister M K Stalin</a> deliberated the issue of Ravi returning The Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Online Gambling and Regulation of Online Games Bill, 2022 passed by the Assembly on October 19, 2022, and decided to re-enact the same law. The Council of Ministers, according to sources, felt that the “legally-sound” bill was drafted after consultations with legal experts and the general public who batted for a tough law to curb the menace.</p>.<p>Once the bill is re-enacted and sent to him, the Governor will have no option but to sign the bill into law. However, there is no time frame for him to give his assent. </p>.<p>This will be the second time the Tamil Nadu Assembly re-enacts a bill returned by Ravi after he took charge in September 2021. In February 2022, the Assembly re-enacted the NEET Bill which was sent back to the Assembly by the Governor. </p>.<p>“The Cabinet decided to place the bill before the Assembly once again to be approved and sent back to the Governor,” Law Minister S Regupathy said after the meeting. The decision came as almost all political parties condemned the Governor’s decision to return the bill. </p>.<p>Highly placed sources told <em>DH </em>that the Governor returned the bill on the grounds that the state had “no legislative competence” over the issue of imposing a ban on online gambling. A source in the know said the Governor, who approved the Ordinance in October, is now raising questions over the bill. </p>.<p>The decision by the Governor to return a bill passed by the Assembly on October 19, 2022, comes amid growing incidents of suicides by people after losing money while playing rummy online. The government says at least 44 persons have ended their lives after losing money in the past two years.</p>.<p>Besides arguing that the state had no legislative competence over the issue, the governor has also referred to judicial pronouncements with regard to online gambling by various courts in the past. </p>.<p>The return of the bill from Raj Bhavan will intensify the confrontation between the governor and the government who do not see eye to eye on several issues. </p>.<p>The bill had said no online games provider shall provide online gambling service or allow the playing of any online game of chance specified with money or other stakes or playing of any other online game in contravention of the regulations, in any form. </p>.<p>“No person shall make or cause to make any advertisement in any media including electronic means of communication, in the State, which directly or indirectly promotes or induces any person to indulge in online gambling or play any online game of chance specified in the Schedule, with money or other stakes,” the Bill read. </p>.<p>This was the second time that Tamil Nadu acted against online rummy – the AIADMK government had in 2021 imposed a ban through a law which was struck down by the Madras High Court on the grounds that the legislation was drafted without enough proof and reasons. </p>
<p>Tamil Nadu Cabinet on Thursday decided to re-enact the bill that bans online gambling and regulates online games in the Assembly during the Budget Session beginning March 20 and send it back to Governor R N Ravi, who <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/south/tamil-nadu-governor-returns-bill-banning-online-gambling-1198362.html" target="_blank">returned the legislation</a> on the grounds that the state had no “legislative competence” to draft a bill over the issue. </p>.<p>The cabinet headed by <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tag/m-k-stalin" target="_blank">Chief Minister M K Stalin</a> deliberated the issue of Ravi returning The Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Online Gambling and Regulation of Online Games Bill, 2022 passed by the Assembly on October 19, 2022, and decided to re-enact the same law. The Council of Ministers, according to sources, felt that the “legally-sound” bill was drafted after consultations with legal experts and the general public who batted for a tough law to curb the menace.</p>.<p>Once the bill is re-enacted and sent to him, the Governor will have no option but to sign the bill into law. However, there is no time frame for him to give his assent. </p>.<p>This will be the second time the Tamil Nadu Assembly re-enacts a bill returned by Ravi after he took charge in September 2021. In February 2022, the Assembly re-enacted the NEET Bill which was sent back to the Assembly by the Governor. </p>.<p>“The Cabinet decided to place the bill before the Assembly once again to be approved and sent back to the Governor,” Law Minister S Regupathy said after the meeting. The decision came as almost all political parties condemned the Governor’s decision to return the bill. </p>.<p>Highly placed sources told <em>DH </em>that the Governor returned the bill on the grounds that the state had “no legislative competence” over the issue of imposing a ban on online gambling. A source in the know said the Governor, who approved the Ordinance in October, is now raising questions over the bill. </p>.<p>The decision by the Governor to return a bill passed by the Assembly on October 19, 2022, comes amid growing incidents of suicides by people after losing money while playing rummy online. The government says at least 44 persons have ended their lives after losing money in the past two years.</p>.<p>Besides arguing that the state had no legislative competence over the issue, the governor has also referred to judicial pronouncements with regard to online gambling by various courts in the past. </p>.<p>The return of the bill from Raj Bhavan will intensify the confrontation between the governor and the government who do not see eye to eye on several issues. </p>.<p>The bill had said no online games provider shall provide online gambling service or allow the playing of any online game of chance specified with money or other stakes or playing of any other online game in contravention of the regulations, in any form. </p>.<p>“No person shall make or cause to make any advertisement in any media including electronic means of communication, in the State, which directly or indirectly promotes or induces any person to indulge in online gambling or play any online game of chance specified in the Schedule, with money or other stakes,” the Bill read. </p>.<p>This was the second time that Tamil Nadu acted against online rummy – the AIADMK government had in 2021 imposed a ban through a law which was struck down by the Madras High Court on the grounds that the legislation was drafted without enough proof and reasons. </p>