The All India Gaming Federation Want The State of Kerala to Acknowledge that Poker is a Game of Skill

The All India Gaming Federation Want The State of Kerala to Acknowledge that Poker is a Game of Skill

Representatives of the All India Gaming Federation are pushing for the State of Kerala to accept that games like poker, bridge, and fantasy sports are games of skill in a bid to boost tourism.

When Portugal beat France to win the UEFA European Championships, it was a reminder that luck and not only skill plays a major factor in sports dripping in the silky stuff.

The All India Gaming Federation Want The State of Kerala to Acknowledge that Poker is a Game of SkillIt baffles me that there are still so many countries in the world who are loathed to believe that poker is a game of skill, and one of these countries is India. With a population of 1.129 billion people, you don’t have to be the grey haired geezer from Back to the Future to understand gambling could be a money spinner, and everyone would benefit.

India is governed by a central law that prohibits gambling on games of chance called The Public Gaming Act 1867. If ever a law needed the touch of a feather duster, one born in 1867 passes the bar. Despite the central law, some states do allow gambling after The Supreme Court acknowledged that activities such as rummy and horse racing are skill based pastimes.

The state of Andhra Pradesh allows horse racing, rummy and a state lottery. Goa has ten casinos, 7 of which are based on boats thus circumventing land based casino laws, and Karnataka allows horse racing and rummy. Maharashtra allows horse racing and a state-run lottery. Sikkim is in the process of applying for the right to offer online gambling, and government officials in West Bengal believe poker is a game of skill.

Progress is progress.

So it should come as no surprise to learn that another state is trying to get in on the act. Roland Landers, CEO of the All India Gaming Federation, and gaming lawyer Jay Sayta, recently met with officials in Kerala to try and push through an amendment to the Kerala Gaming Act, 1960, that would legalise poker, bridge and fantasy sports.

Sayta had unearthed paperwork that showed that games such as rummy and darts were added to the Kerala Gaming Act as games of skill back in 1976 and wants to add poker, bridge, and fantasy sports to that list 40-years later.

The All India Gaming Federation believes the new games would help boost tourism and create jobs in a wide range of areas including technology and hospitality industries.

The legal eagles with the right to make the All India Gaming Federation happy said they would consider their request, and that’s where the story ends for now.