BENGALURU: The high court has ordered notice to the state government in response to a public interest litigation seeking a direction to ban all forms of online gambling and betting until an appropriate regulatory regime is established and regulations framed.
A division bench headed by chief justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka gave time to the government till January 12, the next date of hearing, for submitting its statement of objections.
Petitioner DR Sharada, a resident of Davanagere, claimed neighbouring Tamil Nadu promulgated an ordinance on November 20 considering the precarious situation amid the pandemic, wherein vulnerable sections of society, particularly youngsters and children, have access to internet via mobile phones and laptops.
“However, Karnataka remains blissfully oblivious to regulating all forms of betting and wagering in cyberspace using computers or any communication device/resource… Great injustice will be caused in case these illegal and unregulated activities are not halted by this court. The loss can’t be compensated with money. Per contra, no hardship or loss will be caused to the government or others,” the petitioner has said.
According to her, there is a complete regulatory vacuum as there’s no regulatory body or governmental structure to regulate and monitor online gambling and betting.
