Karnataka High Court questions State on law allowing online betting, issues notice in plea challenging permission granted to Bangalore Turf Club

The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday issued notice in a plea challenging the permission granted by the state government to Bangalore Turf Club for conducting online betting (C Gopal v. State of Karnataka and ors).The State had also given the green signal to digital payment methods as an option for placing bets..Notice has been issued to the state government and Bangalore Turf Club Limited. .While issuing notice, a Division Bench of Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka and Justice Vishwajith Shetty questioned the state government on the law based on which it allowed the respondents to conduct online betting. .The petition states that Bangalore Turf Club, which conducts horse racing and betting on the same, made two representations to the State seeking permission to allow them to conduct online betting. .Subsequently, the state government sent the proposal to allow online betting to the Chief Minister, by way of a letter dated May 25, 2020. CM BS Yeddyurappa approved the same on May 29, reads the plea. .On obtaining the permission, the Turf Club has been making all kinds of arrangements to start online betting by end of October 2020, the petitioner states..The plea asserts that if online betting is allowed, many families will be on streets and it would also affect all kind of people including youngsters, proving to be a bane to the society at large. It states,."The Gambling and Betting involves high risks as the outcome is uncertain, the mode of transaction involves money, property and with the revolution of internet technology, new dimensions have been opened up to process the mode of payment in the same and the Respondent No.3 is banking on the same to increase its revenue by spreading its tentacle beyond the limits at the cost of the society/public at large and making hectic efforts reach all sectors of people, students, youths, kids etc., with an intention to make profit and gain wrongfully."Plea filed in Karnataka High Court .The petitioner further contends that many states have put an end to online betting/gambling keeping in mind the welfare of the public at large. Moreover, even the Government of Karnataka had earlier banned online and other types of lotteries in 2007, mentions the plea..In order to substantiate his contentions, petitioner C Gopal refers to a report by the Law Commission of India pertaining to legalization of gambling in India. The report, in one of its chapters, concludes that gambling is a social evil that has been looked down upon by society, states the plea. .The PIL also submits that the State, which is bound to educate the society with respect to the ill-effects of gambling, is rather making efforts to gain wrongfully at the cost of the public. .On these grounds, the plea seeks to quash the state government permission dated May 29 granting permission to the Turf Club to conduct online betting. .[Read plea here]