Court Rules on Rummy Law
Story by George Oborne on 2011-11-30 15:16:08
The Madras High Court today announced that Rummy could be played legally within India, as it is seen as a game of skill. Ever since a 1968 Supreme Court ruling, Rummy has been a legal game within India. There are a number of established and well respected Rummy clubs throughout India which have been established for well over 30 years.
However, a recent spate of raids on clubs has seen the Mahalakshmi Cultural Association file a complaint to the Madras High Court. Police have been raiding clubs, accusing players of gambling over games such as Teen Patti.
One particular incident, on the 10th of August this year particularly enraged the Cultural Association. 56 respectable players were arrested during a raid, where traditional thirteen card Rummy was being played. 6.75 lakh rupees were seized by the Theagaraya Nagar police in Chennai at the club, prompting them to complain to the High Court as a last resort. Paul Kanagaraj, a club representative said that under no circumstances were any games other than Rummy played in the club.
On Saturday, however, the court ruled in favour of Rummy and Justice S Rajeswaran announced “Rummy requires a certain amount of skill because the fall of the card has to be memorized and the building up of Rummy requires considerable skill in holding and discarding cards.”
The Judge presiding over court, R C Paul Kanagaraj, although he ruled in favour of the club did warn the club that no games other than Rummy should be played on the premises. He also said that they should work along side the police to help prevent gambling on games such as brag and flush.
The announcement will come as a relief to members of the online community, where online Rummy is beginning to become very popular within India.
The issue brings up questions over the legality of poker, which is seen as a game of skill by many people and played as a sport in a number of countries such as the United States. With poker becoming increasingly popular in states such as Goa, where it is legalised on their floating casinos, people are asking whether it could become categorised alongside Rummy as a game of skill rather than being classified as a gambling game.