The Karnataka High Court recently declared that playing rummy, with or without stakes, is not considered gambling. Judge SR Krishna Kumar's Court acknowledged that games involving chance with stakes are gambling, but games of skill, whether with or without stakes, do not fall under gambling. The court emphasized that rummy is predominantly a game of skill rather than chance.
The court also stated that there is no distinction between traditional/physical rummy and online/electronic/digital rummy, and neither form constitutes gambling, regardless of the presence of stakes.
The court addressed a series of writ petitions filed by the online gaming platform Gameskraft and its founders, chief financial officer, and chief executive officer.
The company is challenging a Notice of Justification issued by the Department of Goods and Services Tax in September 2022, despite the High Court previously halting a Rs 21 crore tax notice issued to the company.
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