Leading Real Money Gaming (RMG) operators, including A23’s parent company Head Digital Works, Games 24×7, and Junglee Games, have knocked on the doors of the Madras High Court to challenge Tamil Nadu’s strict online gaming regulations.
The firms filed a writ petition on Monday seeking an injunction against the newly implemented Tamil Nadu Online Gaming Authority Regulations, 2025.
The challenge stems from the state government’s controversial “blank hour” regulations, which prohibit gaming activities between midnight and 5 AM.
The petitioners have argued that specific provisions; Section 5 read with Section 14 of the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Online Gambling and Regulation of Online Games Act, 2022 are unconstitutional, discriminatory, and arbitrary in their application to real money skill-based games.
However, the matter is yet to be listed for a hearing.
The respondents in the case include the State of Tamil Nadu, the Director General of Police, the Tamil Nadu Online Gaming Authority (TNOGA), and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). Furthermore, all petitioning RMG firms are members of the E-Gaming Federation (EGF), while the All India Gaming Federation (AGF) members are reportedly refraining from legal action.
A source close to the matter confirmed that the RMG firms have formally approached the court. The date of the hearing is expected to be announced soon. The petition comes after a meeting last week between AIGF representatives and TNOGA officials, during which gaming industry concerns were raised. Still, the regulator stressed the need for compliance with the new framework.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, EGF representatives met with senior TNOGA officials, including Md. Nasimuddin and Dr.M.C. Sarangan, to further discuss the industry’s apprehensions regarding the implementation of the new regulations. The state has warned that non-compliance with these rules will invite legal action under Section 16(3) of the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Online Gambling & Regulation of Online Games Act, 2022.
The legal battle echoes a landmark ruling by the Madras High Court in November 2023, which struck down a previous blanket ban on online money games such as Rummy and Poker.
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