The proposal to outlaw betting and gambling through the Chhattisgarh Gambling (Prohibition) Bill, 2022, was passed by a voice vote today during the winter session of the Chhattisgarh legislative assembly.

During the proceedings when the bill was introduced, the BJP MLAs were staging a protest in the well of the house and raising slogans. Home Minister Tamradhwaj Sahu claimed that as a state, Chhattisgarh lacked a specific statute to regulate online gambling and betting and there was a need for one. The bill was supposed to be discussed for roughly an hour but because BJP MLAs were present in the well of the house, the bill had to be passed without discussion.

Earlier in September, Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel had decided to take measures to curb online gambling and betting in the state. Baghel had instructed DGP Juneja to formulate the necessary legal guidelines and procedures so that strict legislation could be passed to prohibit online gambling and betting.

Features of Bill:

1) Applies only to games of chance. Games of skill (poker, rummy, fantasy sports etc exempt, a key demand of industry.

2) Upto 3 years punishment along with 5 lakhs fine for running online gambling/betting, which may extend to 7 yrs & 10 lakhs for 2nd offence

— Jay Sayta (@jnsayta) January 4, 2023

The Bill will hopefully curb illegal online gambling/betting mushrooming in state especially in Bhilai, Durg & other areas of state especially those hit with left wing extremism as links of online betting operators with terror groups & organisations in Pakistan had emerged.

— Jay Sayta (@jnsayta) January 4, 2023

The gambling and betting operations, which have several connections to clients overseas, generates revenue of an astounding Rs 400 crore per year on average, according to the Chhattisgarh Police.

Following this, a draft law was made to curb online gambling in the state, which was approved in a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on December 31, 2022.

Even before the bill was passed, Chhattisgarh police had also been actively pursuing the busting of illegal online gambling and betting rackets which have been growing rapidly in the state. The majority of online gambling is done through illegal offshore betting apps.

One of the most notorious gambling apps ‘Mahadev book’ has been quite popular among the illegal gamblers and bookmakers. The police have arrested several people during the Mahadev book investigation and frozen crores of rupees in illegal bank accounts.

With the Chhattisgarh Gambling (Prohibition) Bill, 2022 passed, the state joins few others which do not allow online gaming for stakes and deem them as illegal.