Karnataka government argued that its new law on online gaming does not ban online “games of chance or skill” but steers people away from gambling money on an uncertain event, as per an Economic Times report. The arguments were part of the government's objections to a batch of writ petitions filed in the Karnataka High Court against the ban on online gaming, the report added. There is no difference between a game of chance or skill as consequences of betting money are the same in both which is why the government does not see a need to treat them differently, ET reported. The hearing began on Wednesday and arguments are set to continue on Thursday. Karnataka’s law is not bogged down by the “crassness of clauses that afflicted '' the Tamil Nadu law struck down by the Madras High Court recently, the government affirmed. In the absence of a uniform policy on online gaming by the Union government, the verdicts flowing down from India’s judiciary become vital in understanding the future of gaming in India. Courts might also be instrumental in distinguishing between games of chance and skill. What were some of the other arguments? The state of Karnataka put forth the following reasons to justify its case as per ET’s report: Gaming platforms fuel addiction among the youth which can result in suicide at times. The aforementioned addiction is similar to alcohol or drug abuse Online portals do not disclose the way they distribute prize money to their customers…
