Karnataka govt tables bill in assembly to ban online gambling
Bengaluru, Sep 17: The Karnataka government on Friday tabled a bill in the assembly to ban online gambling or betting in the state and providing for a maximum imprisonment of three years or fine of up to Rs one lakh for any violation.
The 'Karnataka Police (Amendment) Bill, 2021' was tabled in the assembly by Home Minister Araga Jnanendra.
The bill to amend the Karnataka Police Act of 1963 states "games means and includes online games, involving all forms of wagering or betting, including in the form of tokens valued in terms of the money paid before or after the issue of it, or electronic means and virtual currency, electronic transfer of funds in connection with any game of chance."
However, it does not include lottery or wagering or betting on horse races run on any race course within or outside the state.
The Bill, in its statement of objects and reasons, says that "it is considered to amend the 1963 Police Act to provide for enforcement of provisions of the Act, by making offences under certain sections as cognizable offence and non-bailable, except Section 87 (gaming in public streets), which is made cognizable and bailable.
It will include the use of cyberspace, including computer resources or any communication device as defined in Information Technology Act, 2000 in the process of gaming, to curb the menace of gaming through internet and mobile apps. It provides for enhancing punishment for gaming to wean citizens away from the vice of gambling, extending to three years and fine up to Rs one lakh. It said the punishment for the first offence would be six months imprisonment and fine of Rs 10,000, for the second, one year imprisonment and fine of Rs 15,000, and for the third offence, 18 months imprisonment and fine of Rs 20,000.
Persons aiding or abetting such online gaming would also be punished, it added.
There is no extra expenditure involved in the proposed legislative measure, it said. Instruments of gaming include any article intended to be used as a means of gaming, including computers, computer system, mobile app, or internet or cyberspace, virtual platform, computer network, computer resource, any communication device, electronic applications, software and accessory, the bill said.
Also, means of online gaming, any document, register or record or evidence of any gaming in electronic or digital form, the proceeds of any online gaming or any winning or prize in money or otherwise distributed or intended to be distributed in respect of any gaming, it added.
The state government had in July informed the High Court, hearing a petition seeking a ban on all forms of online betting and gambling, that it had drafted a Bill.
Last November, Tamil Nadu had promulgated an ordinance banning online gambling, and earlier this year, Kerala too had imposed a ban on online rummy games.
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'Rear-guard action': BJP over Mamata accepting sports minister's resignation after Messi event
New Delhi (PTI): The BJP on Tuesday alleged that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's accepting Aroop Biswas' resignation as the state sports minister is nothing but a "rear-guard action" to douse public anger over the mismanagement of football icon Lionel Messi's event last week.
BJP co-in-charge for West Bengal Amit Malviya alleged that this is also an "open confession" that the Messi event fiasco was not accidental but a government-manufactured disaster, borne out of the poor governance of Banerjee, her ministers and the state bureaucracy.
Banerjee on Tuesday accepted Biswas' resignation as the sports minister in the wake of the controversy over the mismanagement of football icon Messi's event last week, a senior leader of the ruling TMC said.
Biswas, who had written to the chief minister seeking to be relieved of his responsibilities as sports minister, will continue as a cabinet minister, retaining charge of the power department.
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Reacting to the development, Malviya said in a post on X, "TMC Sports Minister Aroop Biswas resigns after the Messi fiasco and Mamata Banerjee accepts it in record time."
"Do not mistake this for accountability; this is nothing but a rear-guard action to douse public anger. anger! This is not 'Raj Dharma'," he added.
The BJP leader alleged that the incident was the outcome of "loot" of common people which is "so synonymous" with the TMC.
The incident was also the outcome of the "shameless VIP culture that TMC thrives on and deep-rooted cronyism promoted by Banerjee," he charged.
Malviya further alleged that Biswas' resignation exposes a "collective failure of Mamata Banerjee, her partisan bureaucracy, and her crony cabinet".
"This is a symbolic sacrifice, a political hoax, soon to be buried under layers of bureaucracy, with no justice, no accountability, and no remorse," the BJP leader said, adding, "No resignation will bring back the time lost, the money wasted, or the stolen chance for football lovers to witness Messi in Kolkata."
