The Madras High Court on Tuesday upheld the validity of a ban imposed by Tamil Nadu on playing online real money games (RMG) in the State during the night time between 12 midnight and 5 am.

A Division Bench of Justices SM Subramaniam and K Rajasekar said online RMG is a trade activity, which if left unregulated has immediate implications on the health of the public. The fundamental purpose of this piece of legislation is to protect public health and regulate trade within the State, they said in the order.

“There exists a vacuum in regulating online games and this Court is of the view that the State Government has rightfully taken adequate steps to fill in the vacuum by framing the current legislation,” it added.

Petitions dismissed

The Bench dismissed a batch of writ petitions filed by online gaming companies against certain regulations of the Tamil Nadu Online Gaming Authority including the night gaming ban. It also refused to interfere with requirements such as mandatory Aadhaar verification for playing the RMG. The contention of the petitioners that no blank hours was imposed by the State in watching movies on Netflix and Prime is unsustainable as there are no stakes involved, the Bench said.

“Restricting legitimate online gaming companies will drive users towards an unregulated and thriving illegal market, thereby causing greater public harm. Illegal operators often lack basic safeguards and pose a far greater threat of social harm and addiction. We urge policymakers to recognise that the real solution lies in progressive regulation of the legitimate sector rather than imposing blanket restrictions that risk undermining personal freedoms and public welfare,” Anuraag Saxena, CEO, E-Gaming Federation (EGF), said in a statement.

Published on June 3, 2025