The Madras High Court heard a batch of petitions challenging the restrictions imposed by the Tamil Nadu Online Gaming Authority (TNOGA) on Friday afternoon. The Division Bench, comprising Justices S.M. Subramaniam and K. Rajasekar, decided to take up the matter for a final hearing on March 27.
Mukul Rohatgi, Senior Counsel representing Play Games 24×7 and other Real Money Gaming companies, submitted that they received a counter-affidavit filed by the state government only today and needed time to file a rejoinder. He requested that the matter be scheduled for a final hearing on March 27, 2025, and sought interim relief to prevent any coercive action. He also noted that TNOGA had granted the companies time until March 26, 2025, to comply with the regulations and requested an extension.
The court agreed to list the matter for a final hearing on March 27, 2025, but stated that interim relief had been denied at the admission stage and could not be granted now. The Union of India and other parties who have not yet filed counter-affidavits were permitted to do so before the next hearing. The petitioners were also allowed to file a rejoinder.
WinZO Games’ request to be impleaded in the case was rejected, but the company was granted the liberty to file a fresh writ petition if desired.
At the previous hearing, the petitioners urged the court to declare certain sections of the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Online Gambling and Regulation of Online Games Act of 2022 unconstitutional. These sections empower TNOGA to impose limits on playing time, spending, and age restrictions for online gaming.
The companies specifically challenged the TNOGA (RMG) Regulations of 2025, particularly Regulations 4(iii) and 4(viii). The petitioners also sought clarity on other regulations, such as banning minors from playing, mandatory Know Your Customer (KYC) verification, monetary limits per player, and pop-up warnings about gaming addiction.
These restrictions include Aadhaar-based verification for real money games (RMG) and a mandatory ban on gameplay between 12 a.m. and 5 a.m.
The Tamil Nadu government had granted six weeks from the date of notification until March 26 to implement the Tamil Nadu Online Gaming Authority (Real Money Games) Regulations, 2025. Multiple gaming federations met with TNOGA officials to request an extension of the implementation timeline.
Md. Nasimuddin, Chairperson of TNOGA, stated in a communication to stakeholders (a copy of which is with Storyboard18) that the Tamil Nadu Online Gaming Authority has notified the Tamil Nadu Online Gaming Authority (Real Money Games) Regulations, 2025, through Tamil Nadu Government Gazette Notification No. 6, dated February 12, 2025. The regulations took effect on the date of their publication in the Tamil Nadu Government Gazette.