Is Playing Rummy Online Legal?

Legality of Rummy in India: 

In recent times, the 13 cards rummy game has expanded its frontiers across borders and become one of the most popular games both offline and online in India. Since the advent of rummy card games, Indians have made it an essential part of their culture and tradition. And there is a vast scope for the game to grow in the future. Several people have often questioned the legality of Indian rummy in the past. Here, we talk about the laws governing Indian rummy and find out if it is lawfully played in India or not. 

First of all, “Yes, Rummy is legal in India”.

The Indian court of law has declared that online rummy is not a betting game or a game of chance. Instead, it needs certain features such as memorization. It is upon the players to hold or throw a card to get the desired pair. Hence, rummy is a game of skill and is legally valid.   

However, gambling is subject to state laws. So, rummy can be prohibited under specific state laws. For example, games, where money is at stake, are banned in Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Nagaland, Odisha, Sikkim, Karnataka and Telangana. Therefore, people can’t play rummy in those states.

In 1996, the Supreme Court of India defined gambling as betting and wagering on ‘games of chance’ only. This subtly draws a line between gambling and any game that might involve skill. It is also legal to play online rummy in India. Indian rummy can be regarded as a game of skill, as choosing a card in the game does not determine the winning or losing condition. The players need to strategize and play with their mathematical discretion to win the game. 

Players can develop many tactics with time, depending on how long they have been in practice. The game’s result is based on the player’s competence and is not a matter of luck. To master the game, a good deal of constant training and logic is the governing factor.

On 13 January 2015, Indian law decided to discard rummy websites from the domain of their scrutiny and instead shift their focus to the legality of rummy played in Indian clubs. In conclusion to the sessions summoned, rummy was then deemed legal in India.

In the words of the Supreme Court of India, “Online rummy needs certain skill sets, and it is based on memorization, so it is surely not a game of luck, rather a game of skill”. With this clarification, the Indian government stated rummy to be legal and rationalized that no game can be classified solely into a game of skill or chance. This was a turning point in the history of rummy in India. 

As a result, this free game of real cash has become quite popular in India, contributing to 76% of the total traffic on online rummy websites worldwide. Do follow the website ofA23 Rummy and get a chance to win exciting prizes and real cash while playing rummy. So, test your skill now by Downloading Rummy App on A23 .