Indian lawmakers hold heated debate on risks of online gambling
India’s Union Minister for Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw was subject to robust questioning on the safety of online gambling in India’s lower house of Parliament, Lok Sabha, yesterday.
Responding to questions from Punjab, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu MPs regarding the government’s stance on online gambling, Vaishnaw said that 1,410 online gaming sites had been banned to date, but pointed out that only the state assemblies had the power to ban or regulate online gambling.
Congress MP Amar Singh, representing Fatehgarh Sahib in Punjab, raised concerns that children and young people were becoming increasingly addicted to online gambling, suggesting that operators were using algorithms designed to cause addiction to gaming and betting.
Vaishnaw reiterated that gambling is part of entry 34 of the State List of the Indian Constitution, meaning it is up to state assemblies, not India’s governing body, to issue laws banning gambling.
“State governments have the power to make a legislative framework for the same. Some states have also taken steps for it. In the new Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, action can also be taken on this under section 112,” he said.
A DMK MP, Dayanidhi Maran, asked if the government was avoiding any moral responsibility regarding implementing a total ban on online gambling.
Vaishnaw replied, “The honorable member has no right to question the moral authority of the central government. This country functions on the federal structure defined by the Constitution of India. The Constitution of India places the moral authority and the legal authority as per the three lists… I request the honorable member to respect the federal structure.”
Earlier this week, India’s Directorate General of Goods and Services Tax Intelligence published an update on its efforts to crack down on offshore online gambling firms.
The regulator said it had blocked almost 2,000 bank accounts linked to online gambling and frozen another 392.
Charlotte Capewell brings her passion for storytelling and expertise in writing, researching, and the gambling industry to every article she writes. Her specialties include the US gambling industry, regulator legislation, igaming, and more.
Verticals:
Sectors:
Topics:
