Only online rummy affects health, not Netflix or Candy Crush? Gaming companies in Madras High Court

The Tamil Nadu government cannot adopt a grandfatherly attitude when it comes to regulating games such as online rummy, online gaming platforms argued before the Madras High Court on Thursday..A bench of Justices SM Subramaniam and K Rajasekar was hearing a batch of petitions by several gaming platforms including Play Games 24x7 Private Limited, Junglee Games and Esport Players Welfare Association.These companies have challenged some of Tamil Nadu's regulations on online rummy, online poker and other such games that use real money for rewards. .The companies have questioned why Tamil Nadu has made it mandatory to give a user's Aadhaar card as part of the "Know Your Customer" (KYC) process before users are allowed to create gaming accounts and log in.Another provision under the Tamil Nadu Online Gaming Authority (Real Money Games) Regulations, 2025, that has been challenged is a requirement that gaming platforms should not allow users to log in between the hours of 12 AM and 5 AM, or "blank hours."This is to reduce the time spent on such games by the public, given the purported harmful health effects of prolonged screen time and the addictive nature of such games. .However, Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi questioned why games like online rummy alone were being singled out in imposing such restrictions. "It is wholly arbitrary. You have not had any such ban on grounds of health on a person playing a normal game on TV!" he said. He questioned whether the State will next impose "blank hour" restrictions on other late-night activities - which could range from late-night Netflix movies to ordering food through apps like Swiggy or Zomato. "In Delhi at least, people order food at 2 AM. Can you say 'why should you eat at 2 AM, you should be sleeping'?...Can you regulate like a grandfather and say it should be stopped? I am giving these examples to show how grossly arbitrary it is!" Rohatgi argued. The senior counsel maintained that these things are a matter of choice."It can’t be that health should be alright only between 12 AM to 5 AM. Health is affected only if he plays rummy from 12-5 AM? It’s not affected by (late-night) movies and Netflix?" Rohatgi added..People order food at 2 AM. Can you say 'why should you eat at 2 AM, you should be sleeping'?Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi.Appearing for another petitioner, Senior Advocate Sajan Poovayya argued that there are far more addictive online games such as Candy Crush and PUBG. "My activity is permissible under Article 19 (1)(g). Can there be a restriction that for five hours, you shut shop? State's defence is, 'I want to protect public health by ensuring citizens are not exposed between 12 AM and 5 AM - their melatonin levels come down, they will not sleep, public health suffers.' (Then) such restriction should be on all online games...Today I cannot play rummy, but I can play Candy Crush (at late hours)...Candy crush is most addictive...Actually, the most addictive things are not these games, they are these short videos, reels...Every video, before it ends, a better, newer video pops up. They are not prohibited but my game is!" Poovayya argued..Can there be a restriction that for five hours, you shut shop?Senior Advocate Sajan Poovayya.He further argued that the State had no power to make Aadhaar mandatory in the KYC process for online gaming. "By indicating that Aadhaar is the only methodology (for KYC), you are not taking least intrusive method," he said.He went on to contend that the Supreme Court had upheld the validity of the Aadhaar Act only because Aadhaar was supposed to be used for the limited purpose of identifying beneficiaries of subsidies or other benefits linked to the consolidated fund of India. "But after that judgment, Aadhaar got linked to everything, including that DigiYatra," he observed, while also noting that the DigiYatra app can then be used to track the movements of users in airports."(Even then) crime is not coming down," the Court observed. "State is smart, criminals are smarter! Law-abiding citizens like me are the victims!" Poovayya replied in a lighter vein.The matter will be heard next tomorrow..[Read Live Coverage]