DNA Special: Is Ludo a game of chance or skill?

At present, there are more than 30 lakh mobile phone applications on Google Playstore in India. Out of these, 4,44,226 are Online Gaming Apps. And out of these Gaming Apps, 19,632 Apps have been developed in India itself. In the year 2018, the number of users playing online games in India was 26.9 crore. In the year 2020, the number of such users increased to 36.5 crores. It is estimated that in the year 2022 this number will be 51 crores.

We told you these figures first so that you can understand the power of the fast-growing online gaming industry in India. Now that have seen these figures, let us tell you about the news. Actually, a petition has been filed in the Bombay High Court, in which it has been said that a company offering online Ludo is forcing people to gamble under its guise. It has been emphasized in this petition that Ludo is not a game of skill but a game of luck.

Now in this petition, Ludo has been described as a Game of Chance that by throwing dice in it, the person does not know which number will come. This is known only when the dice is rolled. That is, there is no skill of that person in this. On this basis, this petition claims that this company, which offers the Ludo online game, is actually gambling under its guise.

It has been claimed in this petition that this company takes five rupees from every user. There are four people in a game. That is, according to this, 20 rupees are collected from every user by taking five rupees. At the end of the game, the person who wins gets Rs 17. While three rupees go to the company. The Bombay High Court has sought a response from the Maharashtra government in this matter and has fixed June 22 for the next hearing.

Today people are earning money through many online gaming apps and there is also a risk of financial loss in it. According to a study, 40 per cent of the total Internet users in India are engaged in online gambling. This study also says that in the coming years, India will overtake Britain in this matter.

Apart from this, another research says that 80 per cent of people above 18 years of age in India definitely gamble at least once a year. And after the arrival of Online Gaming Apps, everyday gambling has become a trend.

Some reports also say that ever since the coronavirus has come, good days have come for these gaming apps. People are also earning money on the pretext of Ludo and other games and are also entertaining themselves by staying at home. But it is important to understand here that in the pursuit of entertainment, these apps are making you addicted to gambling.

However, you must be thinking that when these apps are gambling, then why action is not taken on them?

So now we will tell you about it too. In India, gambling and betting are considered state subjects. For this, The Public Gambling Act, 1867 exists in our country. This law prohibits all activities related to gambling. Accordingly, all the apps that give their users a chance to win money, should be banned. But a decision of the Supreme Court is very important in this context.

This decision was given by the Supreme Court in the year 1957 when it was 10 years since the country got independence. In this decision then the Supreme Court had said that if a game is related to skill, that is, a game of skills and even if money is involved in it, then it will not be considered as gambling. This will be called Game of Skill. In August 2015 also, the Supreme Court had given a decision on this. In this then the court had said that the Rummy game is also a game of skill.

By the way, when it comes to money in any game and there are questions about its legality, the Constitution of India gives a special right to all the states. This right is available under List 2 of the Seventh Schedule of the Indian Constitution. Under this, the states can make their own laws to stop gambling if they want. However, most states have not done so. They believe in The Public Gambling Act, 1867 only. But states like Assam, Odisha, Sikkim, Nagaland and Telangana have their own laws to prevent gambling. Among them, Assam, Odisha and Telangana are the three states, where any such game is banned, in which money transactions take place.

There are also some states where they have taken strict action on such gaming apps. For example, gaming apps like Rummy and Poker have been banned in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. And this matter is pending in the High Court of both states.

The important thing is that in this case, these companies have argued in the High Court that wireless communication is not a matter of the states, but of the Centre. In such a situation, this action of the states is not in accordance with the constitution.

But despite this, there are some states which are considering action on these apps. Gujarat, Karnataka, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh are prominent among them. And now in Maharashtra also, the matter regarding Ludo Apps has reached the High Court.