Online gaming platforms involving gambling are treated as illegal, says MoS IT

Betting and gambling are illegal in most parts of the country and online gambling platforms are considered illegal when gambling is involved on these platforms, parliament informed on Wednesday. Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar in a written response to the Lok Sabha said that all forms of gambling and betting are under the jurisdiction of state governments and that they have enacted laws to deal with them in their jurisdiction under List II. of the Seventh Schedule of the Indian Constitution.

“Betting and gambling are illegal in most parts of the country. Online gambling platforms are intermediaries and they must follow the due diligence required by the Information Technology Act 2000 (TI) and the rules derived therefrom.

“MeitY regulates all intermediaries in accordance with the Computer Law and the rules contained therein. Online gaming platforms are treated as illegal when gambling is involved in these platforms,” ​​the minister said.

In response to a question about the measures taken by the government to prevent crimes due to the spread of online gambling and betting, Chandrasekhar said that “police” and “public order” are matters of state and that States and Union Territories are primarily responsible for preventing, detecting, investigating, and prosecuting crimes through their Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs).

“Central and State Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) will take appropriate legal action as required by law and as required,” the minister said.

Last month, Battlegrounds Mobile India, or BGMI, was reportedly removed from the Google Play Store and Apple’s App Store following a government order. Google has confirmed that it has received a government order to delist the popular online game, which has yet to be reinstated on both platforms.

---