The Kerala state government has reportedly issued a notification declaring the online rummy game as illegal. After amending the Kerala Gaming Act, the notification was released. The government has amended the existing law and included online rummy games for money in the list.
Earlier, a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed in the Kerala High Court seeking control of online rummy in the state. The government had told the High Court that it would issue a notification to regulate online gambling through the rummy game. The PIL was filed by Pauly Vadakkan, a native of Thrissur.
During the lockdown period, the online rummy game gained more attention in Kerala and the number of people who lost money through the game was also on the rise. A Thiruvananthapuram native youth had earlier committed suicide following the debt accumulated by playing rummy online. After this incident, the police have taken the matter more seriously.
Meanwhile, mobile applications offering loans have also gained wide attention. Many started to invest small amounts and later, they started putting in larger amounts. Those who lost their money started to take online loans. Later, those who have accepted money through money lending apps were threatened and blackmailed.
Vineeth, a Thiruvananthapuram Kuttichal native, lost more than Rs 12 lakh. He was reported missing and later found dead. Earlier, even Thiruvananthapuram district treasury scam accused Bijulal had also stated that he lost a huge amount of money after playing rummy online.
