Indian court dismisses petition to allow poker and rummy

The Gujarat High Court rejected a petition that asked directions to the authorities regarding poker and rummy permits.

Justice J B Pardiwala from the Gujarat High Court has decided to dismiss a petition that asked authorities to allow poker and rummy games at a city club. The petition wanted to establish card games, such as rummy and poker, as skill games and not gambling.

Samir Patel, who petitioned the permit to allow those games, asked the high court to issue a no obection certificate’ (NOC) or a license to his club so that it could offer a Poker room. The petition asked the court’s intervention so card games could be established as skill-games and not gambling.

Patel said that his club organised a skill-based cards game as peacefully as possible and that no illegal activity was involved, therefore he wanted that the high court would restrict the police from disturbing the games played at the club.

Justice Shukla is expected to deliver Gujarat High Court’s judgement regarding the legality of poker in India on November 23. Discussions were started in September in order to decide whether poker is a game of skill or not. The results are set to have major impact on online and offline poker operations in the Asian country. The clubs that petitioned the legality of poker claimed that they will immediately challenge the decision.