Latest news with #TamilNaduOnlineGamingActivity
New Indian Express
03-06-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
Right to trade cannot impede on right to life: Madras HC upholds Tamil Nadu's real money gaming regulations
The bench held that the right to conduct trade enshrined in Article 19(1)(g), being a vital fundamental right, cannot be used to deter the people's right to life under Article 21. The petitions were filed by online gaming platforms including Play Games 24x7 Private Limited, Head Digital Works Private Limited, Junglee Games India Private Limited. These companies had challenged the Tamil Nadu Online Gaming Activity (Real Money Games) Regulations, 2025. The main contentions were against the bar on under 18 minors from playing the games, mandatory know your client (KYC) registration with Aadhaar number, playing RMGs during blank hours- from 12 am to 5 am and the compulsory pop-up caution alerts for every thirty minutes after the initial one hour and setting of time bound monetary limits. They also stated the state's act and regulations were repugnant with the Information Technology Act of the Centre. Pointing to the reports on the negative effects of the online RMGs on the physical, mental and financial aspects of a player who in essence is not playing with another human but a pre-programmed computer, the bench held that it would be only fair to ensure the right to life under Article 21 of the player is protected which also encompasses his right to health. It negated the contention of the online gaming firms that the restrictions of blank hours and age limit are paternalistic in nature.
New Indian Express
30-04-2025
- New Indian Express
Madras HC reserves order on plea against TN online game regulations
CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Tuesday reserved the orders on the petitions filed by online gaming companies challenging the new regulations introduced by the Tamil Nadu Online Gaming Authority (TNOGA) to restrict and regulate the use of real money games (RMGs). Counsels for the parties filed written submissions when the petitions came up for hearing before a division bench of Justices S M Subramaniam and K Rajasekar. Subsequently, the bench reserved the orders. The petitions were filed by the gaming platforms, including Play Games 24x7 Private Limited, Head Digital Works Private Limited, and Junglee Games India Private Limited challenging the Tamil Nadu Online Gaming Activity (Real Money Games) Regulations, 2025. Their contentions are against regulation 4 (i), which prohibits those below 18 years from playing the RMGs, 4 (iii), which mandates KYC registration of players with Aadhaar number for opening gaming accounts on these online platforms and 4 (viii), which bans playing RMGs during 'blank hours' from 12 am to 5 am. Moreover, the gaming platforms also challenged the regulations which mandate compulsory pop-up caution alerts including that of 'online game is addictive'.
