Kerala HC notice to Virat Kohli over plea seeking ban on online gambling

Virat Kohli is the reigning skipper of Team India. He is associated with many endorsement deals, including the online gaming platform, Mobile Premier League. However, the platform has not been well-received in Kerala, as a plea for a ban has been put forward.

Indian skipper, Virat Kohli has been served a notice by Kerala High Court over a plea to ban online gaming platform, in the state. Along with him, South Indian actor, Aju Varghese, and Bollywood actress, Tamanna Bhatia, have also been served with a similar notice, who endorse a similar brand.

According to a PTI report, the petition has been filed by a guy named Pauly Vadakkan, who is alleging that these platforms are efficiently targeting the middle-income groups. He also alleged that it has allowed several scammers to befool such people, who end up losing their life savings.

Vadakkan also brought forward the news of a man, a Kattakkada-based ISRO employee, who had committed suicide after pushing himself into a debt of ₹21 lakh for the same. He also accused that Kohli, Bhatia and Varghese endorsing such brands sends out negative vibes, along with false promises of winning, while there is a very marginal chance of one winning huge bucks. "Thus, a person sitting in his private house, using these online gambling platforms from his house arguably may not come within the definition of a common gaming house," he added.

The plea was presented in terms with Kerala Gaming Act 1960, which states, "Common gaming house" (which is an enclosed physical premise such as house, room, tent etc) by using any "instrument of gaming kept or used in such enclosed physical premises for the accrual of profit or gain to the person owning, occupying, keeping such instruments of gaming in the enclosed physical premises."

Vadakkan also pointed out where Gujarat and Tamil Nadu high courts have addressed jurisdictional state legislatures over possibilities to control online gaming. Meanwhile, in Andhra Pradesh, a directive has been introduced to run online gambling within the existing gaming legislation. The primary objective of the plea is to ban or observe online gambling by constructing fitting laws.