The 22nd Law Commission of India has urged the IT Ministry to put its proposed online gaming rules on hold until the Commission comes up with a comprehensive report on the subject, Business Standard reported on January 23. The Ministry, however, is unlikely to withdraw the rules, but noted that the Commission can give feedback as part of the public consultation process, the report added. Note: Tomorrow (January 25) is the last date to submit feedback on these rules. Why does this matter: The Law Commission of India is an advisory body constituted by the Law Ministry to provide recommendations to the government on existing laws as well as new legislation. The 21st Law Commission came up with an extensive report in 2018 on gambling and betting in India, which recommended that the government should legalize and regulate certain forms of online gambling, such as sports betting and fantasy sports, in order to curb illegal activities and generate revenue. The proposed rules, however, don't incorporate the recommendations of this report. Moreover, the rules are plagued with confusion and questions as we found out in MediaNama's discussion of the rules, which makes the Law Commission's call for pause all the more pertinent. That the government will not heed the recommendation of one of its own makes one wonder whether or not it will heed any recommendations made in the public consultation process. What did the Law Commission say: “We have decided to conduct an in-depth study and analysis of the draft rules, as to bring…
